To Hell with the Handsome
by airali
Summary: When family, the world and fate all work against love should we take it as a sign to give up on it? His privileged background has always left him starving for something more though he never noticed it. It was something he came to find in Mili a temperamental young girl with an endearing character but there are many out there with their own reasons to keep the pair apart. EdwardXOC
1. Come Into my Life

**Hey guys!**

**So for those of you that have been following my other stories, my most sincere apologies. I know I have not been very responsible with them but I do plan on taking them up again as soon as I find some inspiration for them. I'm on a writing streak right now so that might happen sooner than later. Meanwhile I thought I'd treat you to something new. **

**Now I claim no creative license for this story, my idea was actually based off from a Mexican soap opera I've just seen called "Al Diablo con los Guapos." while some of the ideas may be mine it's not entirely so. Obviously I'm also setting this in the twilight world as well so I don't take ownership for any of the characters. **

**That will be my disclaimer for the entire story. I hope you guys enjoy it and let me know your most sincere thoughts by reviewing. **

**Thank you!**

Mother superior had just left the room after making sure the two girls were in their bed. They waited five minutes after she turned off the lights and left. When they'd made sure that the coast was clear they collected their flashlights and in quiet fits of giggles they went about putting on their best party clothes and trying to apply their make up as well as they could with the limited light.

"I'm not sure about this Mili" the youngest and most sensible one of them whispered to the oldest and most impulsive one. "What if they catch us?"

"They will catch us if you keep sending all those bad vibes around us. What'sa matter with you? When have we ever been caught?" The oldest girl, Mili, wasn't sure why she was even trying to ease her best friend's nerves. It was standard routine so she supposed calming her was also part of that standard routine.

She glanced at her friend who had yet to look comforted. "Hey are we going to go do drugs?"

"No." Angela responded.

"Are we going to go drink alcohol?"

"No."

"Are we going to go do-"she lowered her voice at the next part, "the deed?"

Angela's eyes widened and she immediately shook her head.

"Then we're not doing anything bad. Since when is dancing a sin? This ain't footloose girl so calm yo-self."

Angela nodded and finally seemed to catch some confidence and relief.

The sneak out went smoothly, as it did nearly every Friday that they went to their favorite club. The fact that they were orphans did not keeping from being able to raise money for their own fun. Mili and Angela pushed through the crowd of bodies and found their own spot and beat to dance to. Mili tossed aside her black curled mane as it stuck to her skin with sweat and took her friend's arms and danced the night away.

At the entrance of the club two guys in their twenties walked in, one with a look of excitement in his wide brown eyes and the other looking around the dinginess of the room with pure dislike.

"Didn't I tell you this place was sick?" The one with blonde curled hair said excitedly as he clapped his hands and rubbed them together in anticipation.

The green eyed man with the strange wild copper hair eyed his best friend suspiciously and then replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "yeah real classy dude." Nevertheless he followed into the crowd as they looked for a table. He looked ahead and felt a body collide with his.

"Oops!" He snapped his head down checking to see if the person was all right. A black haired girl looked up with a mirthful smile.

"Gotta lay off the beer bud! I think it's messing you up!" Quick as a fox she disappeared into the crowd. Edward looked where she disappeared and tried to find her through the crows. She could have been a mirage for all he knew but he admitted to himself that his mind lacked the creativity required to conjure such a female.

"Come on I found a table!" Jasper called tugging on Edwards shoulder. Edward followed but when he sat down he kept his eye out for the girl with the white blouse, and short, red skirt.

After a while of wandering eyes and distracted conversation with Jasper, he finally spotted her curly black hair busily swaying with perfect rhythm to the upbeat music. She danced with another black haired girl. Not daring to tear his eyes from her for fear she might disappear again he nudged Jasper to get his attention. "Hey man, help me out with that girl; I want to dance with her."

Jasper didn't object and he and Edward made their way towards the oblivious girls. Jasper neared Angela and she did not object when he asked to dance with her. Mili looked at Edward as he neared and leaned down to whisper in what he knew to be a tone that would make her willing to do as he wished, "has anyone ever told you you're beautiful."

Mili smiled tentatively and imitated his own tone, "thanks for the roses but you can go ahead and give em to someone that wants em." With that she pulled her friend away and disappeared once more. Jasper laughed at his friend's baffled expression.

"Who the hell does she think she is anyways?" The indignant ring in his voice only made Jasper laugh harder and Edward shoved him a little.

He tried to ignore it but ended up sulking on his table, ignoring the girls that tried to get him to dance, and watched as Jasper enjoyed himself. After a while Jasper sat down next to him, his hair was matted with sweat and he smiled brightly at Edward. Edward rolled his eyes and listened as the club host announced a performance. As luck would have it, it was that same girl. She pranced onto the stage and took the microphone. The music began and her voice filled the club as people cheered her on and crowded around the stage.

Edward let out a small laugh of disbelief at the sound of her voice: of course she would be a singer. He watched her from his seat as he dissected her voice detecting what made it so rich. It wasn't a fake voice like the one every pop singer and wannabe carried. It was the voice that went far beyond the throat. The diaphragm, that's where the sound originated ad it created a certain richness to her voice the kind that was heard over sixty years ago.

Jasper whistled in encouragement. "Man what a woman!"

"She's not all that." Edward countered but the smirk on his face as he watched her dance betrayed him.

Then his eyes zeroed in on a guy close to where he was he neared the stage and Edward heard clearly as the man threw crude words at the girl and tried to reach to touch her leg. In a swift move Edward was up and pulling the man by his shirt, his fist raised threateningly. "If you don't shut up I'll knock your teeth out!"

More guys noticed the commotion and crowded around their friend threateningly as the man pushed Edward back. Edward was just about to throw the first punch when Jasper stepped in.

"woah woah woah! Gentlemen! I have a message for this man here."

"For me?" Edward looked at his friend in confusion.

"Yeah! Dip it man!" and he began to scour away. Edward understood and he began to run as the four men chased them through the crowd.

On the stage Mili continued the show without having even noticed a sign of commotion in the crowd.

* * *

If the sneaking out of the orphanage was easy Mili had figured sneaking back in would be even easier. She was right, it was easy. They got into their bedroom through the window giggling at their sneakiness.

"Told you no one would find-"

The lights went on and the last word died in her throat. Mother Superior looked at them with a scowl she was famous for. Both girls were quiet and wide eyed. Mili was the first to speak.

"What if I told you that we had to help a really sick friend?"

Mother Superiors scowl deepened if such a thing were even possible.

"No? Okay well what if I tell you we went to visit my mom's grave…no not that I can't bring her into-"

"ENOUGH!" and she shot her eyes towards Mili, "that is it Milagros. Your time here is up. This week you leave the convent!"

* * *

The next morning at the Cullen mansion, Carlisle Cullen stood before a mirror in his bedroom, a jovial hum rang in the air as he fixed his tie into place. His good mood originated from his plans to see Tanya Denali that day. His gentle humming came to a stop as his wife walked in.

She looked at his unnatural good mood and looked down, guessing where this had come from. "Are you going out?"

He looked at her in an almost cynical manner. "No, I'm getting ready to jump right back into bed."

Elizabeth Cullen ignored this and continued as if he hadn't responded. "You didn't eat here last night. Or the one before that."

He turned to fully face her "What for? So I can sit at that table and watch you complain about an alcohol induced headache? I'll pass."

"I thought we could talk."

"Elizabeth, Sweetheart." He walked to her and kissed the top of her head. Despite the loving gesture his voice was ice cold. " Don't bother me."

Elizabeth's face remained stoic as he spoke. "What do you want me here for? To lie on the bed turned away because I can't stand my wife reeking of alcohol? To lay there looking at the ceiling wondering why I married a damned alcoholic?"

Her expression broke and the sharp sound of hand and cheek colliding resounded through the room. Carlisle's face tried to retain his sneer but it was betrayed by loud enraged breaths. "One more time, Elizabeth" he said, his voice becoming low and dangerous, "and I'll cut your hand off"

He turned to leave, ignoring the sting on his cheek, and heard her rummaging through her bedside cabinet. He turned and saw her standing with an empty liquor bottle.

"Don't even try looking for it, I threw it out. Try some mineral water honey." He laughed at the fury in her face and closed the door to the bedroom as he left. He heard the crash of the bottle against the door and laughed even more; mocking her.

The door opened and she followed him out. "Carlisle you can't leave! I'm your wife! At least you owe me-"

"What?" he barked at her. "What do _I _owe you Elizabeth?"

"Please don't leave me here looking like an idiot before the servants. They're starting to notice, they look at me with pity!"

"And why is that dearest Elizabeth, huh? Because you do cause pity." Tears streamed down Elizabeth's face and clouded her beautiful green eyes. How she'd fallen victim to such a life was beyond her.

"How dare you?" she whispered, "how dare you say-"

She stopped abruptly as Edward walked down the hall towards them. "Dad? Dad I need you to tell me if-"

Carlisle didn't look at Edward as he cut him off. Instead he looked at Elizabeth angrily. "Dad…" he smiled coldly and unhappily as if blaming her for the fact that Edward had called him 'Dad' as he always had "dad." He spat once more and walked away angrily.

Edward watched, confused, as his dad walked away, though he was no stranger to Carlisle's insufferable behavior. He looked at his teary mother and hugged her.

"Let's see, what happened to the prettiest of moms?"

She didn't smile, just looked at him and walked away. Worried as he was he didn't push, he was well aware that everyone in the house was a little crazy.

Carlisle was making his way down the mansions elegant staircase where the butler awaited him at the foot of the stairs.

"Sir,"

"And what do you want Eleazar?" he snapped.

Eleazar ignored the rude tone, "your mother wishes to speak to you." He informed.

"Alright then, tell her to come down."

"Sir, you are well aware that Mrs. Marie has not left her room for many years, and you know very well why."

Carlisle huffed and looked at Eleazar in the eye. "Quite honestly, Eleazar, I'm sick of you and my mother. Your sister left, I didn't throw her out. Make sure to make my mother understand that."

Eleazar was well practiced in the art of hiding his emotions, but it took him some effort to push down the rage pooling within him "I will sir." With that he turned and went up the elegant staircase and disappeared.

"Daddy!" the youngest of the Cullen's bounded into the living room. She wore a bright haughty smile on her lovely face as she skipped towards her dad and hugged him. He returned the hug, a smile replacing his glowering. "If you're going out can you take mommy's car? Because I'm taking the other one with Morgan since my car hasn't gotten here yet.

"Morgan? Is he a new boyfriend?" he asked wondering why he hadn't been aware of this.

"Ugh obvi no!" she looked at him as if he'd said something ridiculous. "My new driver!"

Carlisle still did not understand. "But his name isn't Morgan."

"I know. But I like the name Morgan better; it doesn't make him sound so…ordinary." Of course when she said ordinary she referred to peasant-like.

Carlisle looked at her a moment then rolled his eyes and walked away not bothering to understand his daughter.

* * *

Upstairs in the Cullen home an old woman paced around her bedroom as Eleazar informed her of her son's response to her request. Marie Preston was clearly displeased.

"What's left of my son, Eleazar? Where's that young man that was once so full of dreams emotions, and love?"

"We all changed after she died." Eleazar answered casting his eyes down at the memory of his sister.

Marie turned her head sharply; "she's not dead." her voice was firm if not stern. "Your sister is not dead."

Eleazar knew better than to argue against this headstrong woman. He merely looked at her and wished he could believe his words.

"We have to hire another detective-"

"Dear lady you've hired 23 detectives and all have returned the same outcome-nothing! It's been nearly nineteen years."

Marie shook her silvering head frowning. "But she could not have been swallowed by the earth!"

"Your son made the choice to marry someone else, and that destroyed my sister!"

"Yes," the elegant woman admitted. She wrapped her fine shawl closer around herself. "And that's why she ran away from here, from us, taking with her my grandson who was yet to be born." Her frown shifted and her determined voice became a lament. "I don't want to die without meeting him, Marcus. If only I'd been stronger. If I'd confronted my husband so that he would not have forced Carlisle to marry someone else."

"Do not torture yourself. Do not blame your husband. He thought he was doing the right thing."

"Have you forgiven him?"

"Him, yes."

"But not my son." It was more of an affirmation rather than a question.

Eleazar seemed uncomfortable and brought things to an end. "If you do not require my services I will leave now."

* * *

Downstairs in the sitting room a man with shoulder length black hair and an ill fitting suit picked up the newspaper from the coffee table and was just about to sit and read when his sister walked past.

"Ah! Elizabeth." He had a habit of speaking in an unusual cheery way that often led people to wonder at the things going on through his head. "I hear your husband didn't sleep here last night."

"Where did you hear that?" She snapped unable to tolerate her brother at the moment.

"The servants seem very well informed." He took a seat and looked through the newspaper.

"The servants are incompetent fools!" She made to leave and then turned back.

"You know, Aro, instead of snooping around in others business, why don't you tend to you son?"

That was all it took to wipe the smile from his pale face. With a feeling of satisfaction she left the room to tend to her garden.

He looked down at the paper, suddenly thinking about his son, and didn't notice as a maid walked in looking around to make sure no one was around. When she verified that the coast was clear she sashayed over to Aro and stroked him with her feather duster.

Aro jumped up in surprise. "Jessica! What are you doing? Are you crazy? Someone can see us." as he spoke she smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "If your mom sees us-"

"She's not going to see us, she's in the kitchen, cooking."

"Oh."

"Soo." She said with a small tentative smile. "Have you spoken to your brother in law?"

"About what?" he said trying to shake her off and play dumb but she was impossible.

"About my job!" she whined bobbing up and down slightly. "I told you I don't want to be in this uniform anymore."

"Right, right. I'll do it. But what do you say, today after dinner you come by my room and you show me just how much you want to get rid of that uniform; which by the way looks _very_ good on you." His eyes raked over her thin body, clad in a pink maid dress with white trimmings that ended mid-thigh. She smiled flirtatiously and twirled for him.

"Okay, tonight." She promised and began walking away squealing when he slapped her behind.

He took a seat once more and Edward walked in.

"Hi uncle Aro." He was about to walk away when he saw his dad walk into the sitting room.

"Heard you didn't sleep here last night." Edward called out, making Carlisle stop at the foot of the staircase.

"What's it to you huh? Since when do I have to answer to you?" He spat

Edward scowled and angrily strode out to the mansions gardens, it didn't matter that his dad had seemed to hate him since he could remember; it still stung to be treated as vermin by his own father.

"You shouldn't treat your son like that Carlisle." Aro lectured him while still glancing at his newspaper though not really reading it.

Carlisle's anger flared further at being addressed by yet another person he disliked, even more so at being told what he should and should not do.

"You're right. I should follow your example right? I mean you've done it all! You killed your wife your son's girlfriend, you left him in a wheelchair. You really are the role model huh?"

Aro trained his eyes onto the newspaper and felt his hand crumpling it.

"Carlisle!" Elizabeth called from the top of the staircase, having heard him. "Is your cruelty really necessary?"

"Tell your brother not to meddle with me." and he walked up the stairs. Elizabeth looked at Aro it was her turn to give someone a look of pity.

* * *

Carlisle knocked on his mother's door before entering.

"You wanted to see me?" there was nothing in his voice to signal that he was happy at seeing his mother, or that he was speaking to his mother. He didn't even look at her. He merely walked over to the French doors wanting to, as always, be anywhere else instead of in his mother's presence. There was only one thing this woman could be interested in talking to him about and it was a subject he wanted to kill and forget forever.

"I hear you did not sleep here last night."

"For someone that spends all her days locked up in this room you sure are well informed."

The woman looked at his son trying to find something that would remind her of who he had once been. Regret filled her heart at her inability to be stronger for him when he had most needed her.

"I told you so." She said, "I told you not listen to your father, not to ruin your life and look at you now."

"You know?" Carlisle turned to face her, full anger into place. "It makes my blood boil, having to hear you say 'I told you so'"

"Well I told you so! Carlisle, do you never think of Esme? Of that son that's heaven knows where?

For as much as Carlisle had wanted to forget about her his mother made every effort to remind him every passing day. Always managing to force open that wound. Carlisle took deep breaths trying to keep from saying something he'd regret.

"Why don't you just bite your tongue?" He muttered and left the room. Marie looked at the place where her son had stood and began her second round at self deprecation.

* * *

In the mansions kitchen Rebecca Stanley, the cook, stood by a counter and watched as the Cullen's driver ate his soup in delight.

"Mrs. Stanley I gotta congratulate you for the bomb ass food. The best of the best."

"Oh Emmett, sweet boy." Before anything else was said the mansions gardener walked in holding a rose in his hands.

"A rose," he said handing it to Mrs. Stanley. "To the queen of all roses."

Mrs. Stanley blushed and cast her eyes down as she took the rose. "Marcus, the things you say." She smiled and shook her head. "Thank you." She looked up at him a spark in her eyes. "You are a true poet.

Emmett looked away trying not to gag.

"Morgan!" he jumped out of his seat as Miss Rosalie Cullen walked into the kitchen looking exasperated.

"I thought I told you to get the car ready!" she snapped. "What are you doing here?"

"Excuse me miss," Rosalie turned her blonde head to look at Marcus. "Sorry to interrupt but his name's not Morgan. It's Emmett."

"No." she said speaking very matter of factly. "If I want him to be Called Morgan then Morgan is his new name. Isn't that right Morgan?" and her eyes turned to Emmett daring him to disagree.

"Of course, beautiful." He mumbled through his evident daze.

Rosalie looked at him enraged. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry! Miss Rosalie." He amended and she threw him a nasty look. "Is there a reason for my new name? What do I remind you of someone or something?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes at his manner of speech and forced a smile. "As a matter of fact yes. There was this movie I watched when I was a little girl, of a _very_ elegant woman. She had a driver that took her everywhere. Since then that's my favorite actor, and his name is Morgan." She spoke to him as if he was young and had to be explained things very carefully. The fool was too enamored by her he didn't seem to notice it.

"So I have always wanted a dog or a driver that's called Morgan…and I already have a driver." She saw that he had no intention of removing his idiotic expression and she became impatient once more.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Move!" She snapped her fingers at him and he happily hurried out of the kitchen to the garden to get the car started. Rosalie followed him out, the sound of her heels becoming less and less loud.

* * *

In another one of the upper rooms of the mansion Eleazar was exiting with a tray of leftover food. "Is there anything else you need sir?"

A voice inside said no and Eleazar closed the door and locked it.

Inside the room a young man with shaggy black hair sat on an electric wheelchair. Surrounded by paintings and art supplies everywhere he gazed at the canvas before him. The soft curves of a nude woman was outlined in chiaroscuro but the face was blank. He contemplated the sensual piece before talking to it.

"You look very beautiful today." He admitted.

* * *

Carlisle finished eating his meal and stood up and moved to wrap his arms around Tanya.

"I love that you invited me to eat here." He admitted and leaned in to kiss the strawberry blondes lips. She pulled away a serious look on her face.

"I think you should leave, I don't want you to misinterpret this as something else."

"This is something else." Carlisle moved to kiss her neck and pushed her away. Tanya rolled her eyes at the eagerness of this man and knew she had him in the palm of her hand. Despite this she pushed him away.

"I told you I don't want to have anything other than a platonic relationship to you."

Carlisle looked at her baffled. "Why? What more could you possibly have? Did I not raise your salary? Did I not get you this luxurious apartment to live in?" he gestured around the elegant place. Tanya smiled flirtatiously and slowly and suggestively walked over to sit down on a fine leather couch.

"I don't understand, Tanya, at the office you treat me-"

"I treat you, the way a secretary treats her boss…Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all you have done for me. But I'm not so materialistic that I would tolerate being the other woman. I was born to be the only one in a man's wife Carlisle."

"You know you drive me crazy? He whispered leaning down to kiss her.

"I feel a lot of things for you too Carlisle. But this is not the life I want. Maybe if you consider leaving your wife." She suggested.

Carlisle took deep breaths, trying not to let his frustration get the better of him. Tanya watched, calculatingly and stood from the couch.

"Come, sit down. I'll make you some coffee." He did so and an idea came to her as she watched him.

"You know, I'm tired of taking the taxi." She knelt in front of him and took his hands. She looked at him through thick lashes and Carlisle wanted to eat her up in that moment. "I think a car would be very, convenient. Don't you?" She leaned in to whisper the last part seductively into his ear. When she looked into his ocean blue eyes she knew she'd soon have that car.

* * *

Noon drifted over the city of Chicago and Mili ran with the soccer ball speeding by all the other players before putting in a well aimed kick that sent the ball straight from the goalie and into the goal. People clapped and she ran to father Nicholas, a short round man that coached a small, boys soccer team. She approached the closest person she'd had to a father figure and worked to get her breath.

"See father! There's no reason I can't be on the team. I'm s'good as all of 'em."

"There is _one_ reason dear: girls can't be in the same team as boys."

"But-"she was starting to pull the same argument she had every time there was going to be a game.

"Now now dear I told you I can't let you. But you can go ahead and sell those sodas. Remember we need the money to pay for those shirts!"

Mili rolled her eyes and looked longingly at the game that was about to start. She picked up the tray with all the sodas and moved over to the stands were people watched the game.

"Sodas! Get your sodas! Hot day get your soda! Don't want y'all dehydrated and passin out on us! Sodas!"

"So why exactly are we here?" Edward asked Jasper as they moved along the stand full of people to sit and watch the soccer game. "Come on let's do something fun."

"Sorry man, I promised my friend I would watch him play." They both sat down and Jasper was immediately drawn into the game. Edward stared around him at the people he would never associate with. For all the grandeur that Chicago had to offer it still retained those dark corners of low class society.

"So why'd you bring _me _here?" he grumbled, "I'm thirsty and I have better things to do than to sit here in this sweltering heat." It was the middle of summer and the heat could be a bit unforgiving.

"Just buy a soda from that boy over there and shut up." Jasper pointed without looking at Mili who was still going up and down the stands announcing sodas. Edward looked over and whistled to get her attention, when she saw him he signaled her to come over.

"Coke." Edward said when she got there; he pulled out the money from his wallet not really looking at her the whole time.

"That'll be two dollars," she spoke and Edward looked up in surprise at what he thought to be a boy with an unusually high and feminine voice. In his defense anybody could have made that mistake given the manner of dress of Mili. The bagginess and masculinity of her clothes hid any indication of a woman under them. Her boyish aspect only reinforced by the hat on her head that successfully hid her long locks from sight.

Edward tried to look at the 'boy's 'face but Mili's head was bowed as she got the soda for him.

"Thank you, Johnny " Edward let out a small chuckle at the boy's voice.

" Johnny?!" Next thing he knew there was soda all over him. He looked up in shock to see an angry boy with unbelievably fine features. Small lips pursed so tightly they seemed to form a circle, large blue eyes that seemed like blue fire due to her anger and her cheeks were flaring with pink spots. It dawned on him that this was a young girl.

Mili gave him one last look and turned and left while people around him, including Jasper, laughed at the scene. Edward was seething as he looked at how Mili was called over by Father Nicholas.

"Milagros! I saw you! I saw you!"

Mili was unfazed by what she did or the Father's humorous anger. "You mean what I did to that prick?"

"Yes! I mean not the prick! Yes!"

Mili raised an eyebrow at the Fathers babbling. "Yes or no father? See even you don't understand yourself sometimes."

Father Nicholas was about to say something but had to return to coach the team. He waggled a finger at her in warning. Mili shrugged and continued her advertising.

"Sodas! Sodas! We got em in any color. Y'all come an get it while it's cold." She passed by Edward and his friend, Edward was still fuming. "You want another soda sir?" She taunted and he made a small threatening motion at her. She laughed and walked away.

Edward got up and walked down toward the father.

"Excuse me father but, that's a woman?"

Father Nicholas looked at him in apology and resignation. "That's more than a woman son, you'd best not get in her range of fire."

* * *

Angela had been waiting for Mili at the convent. She'd been sad since what Mother superior had said last night. Mili tried not to make too much of it. She was well aware this day would come. She was soon to turn eighteen and she would be forced to leave. That was the way it was in this place.

"Don't you worry about it." Mili said to her. Her back was against her headboard as she looked at her own reflection on the mirror in front of her. "Father Nicholas is looking for a place for me to work and somewhere to live. I'll have somewhere to go. I'm just wondering if I can come to eat because I don't think I can live without sister Magdalene's food. She thought of the plump smiling woman that knew a bit too much about the opposite sex in her opinion. She supposed the sister must do a lot of reading.

She stretched and pulled at the gold chain hanging around her neck, glinting as it caught the afternoon sun rays. Angela turned her attention to it.

"Where did you get that?" she asked.

"I've had this since I can remember." Mili looked at the small pendant with a beautiful old looking tree inscribed into it. "My mom gave it to me."

"You don't have a mom." Angela pointed out, to which Mili smiled sadly.

"No, but I had one at one point." She looked at the pendant longingly wanting to know where it had originated from. "The nuns say that it was the first thing she did after I was born, put the necklace around my neck."

"You've never talked to me about your mom."

"Well I've got very little to say. I don't even know what her name was. She arrived to the convent really sick. She wouldn't talk to anyone and she had me soon after. She was weak you know, she just held on long enough for me to be born. That's what they say anyways. She put the chain around my neck and was able to name me Milagros before dying. She must have really loved me…" she murmured the last part to herself.

"Why Milagros?"

"She was Spanish, so they say, it means miracle. Can't blame em, I mean look at me. Do I not look like a walking miracle?" She joked.

"Let me see." Angela moved over to see the necklace and turned around. "What's this?"

There was another inscription on the back. Three initials C.C.P "don't know," Mili admitted. "I think they might've been my mom's initials.

"Or your dads," Angela suggested. Mili's eyes snapped to her and she was suddenly angry.

"No. Don't even talk of that man. I'm sure he's the one that brought all this misfortune on my mom and me. The nuns said that when my mom arrived she'd been emotionally hurt. She partly died of heart break. And I'm sure he was behind everything. I tell you if I ever have that damned man in front of me I'll make sure to spit in his face."

She did not consider herself a hateful person, but this man was that one exception and she was convinced she would hate her father for as long as she lived.

* * *

Monday morning Edward had driven to the family's construction corporation for a meeting. He'd just finished telling Jasper that the one that threw soda at him had indeed been a girl but Jasper failed to believe that.

Upon entering the meeting room he saw everyone was already there except him. His mom and dad and his uncle Aro, all of them owning a percentage of the company's stock.

"Edward, sweetheart," Elizabeth called to him and Carlisle rolled his eyes. He was clearly not happy to see his son there. "What are you doing here?"

Edward smiled proudly and stood taller as he announced that his grandma had just named him her representative in the company; she too owned a percentage of stock.

He'd expected them to be proud of him, his mother smiled triumphantly and he took a seat. Carlisle huffed and puffed as this meant that he would no longer represent his mom; he was inches from blowing a house down. He looked at the papers that Edward had handed him and saw her signature clearly printed on the document as well as Edwards.

"Okay, let's begin." He hissed.

The meeting involved the construction of a new mall. While the location was perfect it was federal land. Carlisle demanded to move to the next proposition as he knew they could not get their hands on the land. Aro on the other hand objected.

"Let him talk dad." Edward demanded, trying to take charge of the situation as he sensed it was going in a wrong path.

Carlisle slammed his hand and stood. "Listen to me you idiot." He looked at Edward who began to glare. "You think this is a damned game?"

"Carlisle please," Aro spoke in his mockingly cheery voice. "If we want to build those malls then those are perfect locations. I already have everything sorted out. You don't even need to worry about it."

Carlisle expressed his distrust in his brother in law stating he was a mediocre fool before calling Edward to his office to berate him for a wrong he had not committed.

"What did I do for you to hate me so much!" he bellowed when he had enough of his father's insults.

Carlisle seemed to want to burn Edward alive with his mere stare and then he said, "You were born."

It was another blow to add to the collection. Edward looked at him trying to show as little of the hurt as possible and he quickly left the office.

Edward was fuming by the end of the meeting and left the building as soon as it was over. He would have to learn to deal with it. He would be working here from now on and this would be a daily think now. He had better learn how to control himself and ignore his father if he wanted to make his working experience in the family business any better.

The drive home was calming him and he reached a stop light and noticed a girl and a boy on the sidewalk. He could faintly hear the boy sing and he thought he recognized the voice. When he looked over he realized who it was and called her over hoping to get his payback for what she'd done.

Mili neared the car thinking they are going to give her money for the performance. When she got near Edward pulled her hand and she recognized his face.

"Hi Johnny." Anger and panic overcame her and she reached to grab at his hair.

"Let me go!" She screamed at him pulling on his hair and threatening to leave him with a bald spot.

"Are you crazy!?" he screamed at her but he'd let go when the pain of his head got to him. She ran and pulled her friend by the hand.

"Crazy bitch," he muttered to himself and rubbed his head. The stop light went green and he turned the car in the direction opposite to his house. This was the second time this kid made a fool of him and that was something he would not stand.

He found her walking alongside her friend on a lonely street. And he drove the car to block their way. They jumped back in fright as they thought the car would hit them.

"Watch it dumbass!" Mili was about to go around the front of the car when Edward stepped out slamming the door behind him. The girls screamed as he went after them. Millie wasn't able to run fast enough and he caught her round the arm.

"You're not getting away from me now you little monster!"

"Let me go!" She screamed trying to hit him. Angela looked at the commotion in fright, unsure on what to do; she clearly could not function under pressure.

"You and I have something to talk about don't we?" Edward asked with a dark smile.

Mili seemed to have gathered her wits and shook her hand free. "You think I'm afraid of you? Please you're all bark and no bite."

"Good to know."

Edward clearly disliked her; it was evident in his eyes and the set of his smile. But he'd never met someone with so much fire in them as this young girl clearly did and he looked into her glaring and defiant blue eyes with a feeling of intrigue.

"You know what you are? You're a rotten brat. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"

"I don't have a mother." She spat, he felt a small tug of embarrassment but it was so hard to feel properly ashamed when this girl looked at him as if her glare would kill him, and he was prideful; his one tragic flaw.

"Well I can see that, Johnny." he sneered looking down at her frayed boy clothes.

She clenched her teeth and those blue flames burned in her eyes again, it occurred to him that there was something familiar in that blue eyed glare.

"I'm not Johnny! I'm a damned girl!"

"Really!" He exclaimed in mock surprise. Then in a quick and powerful movement he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her lips. She stilled for a moment in surprise then tried to pull away but his hold on her was too hard. There was a cocky smile in place when he pulled away.

"That was to prove if you really were a girl." he said in that haughty manner of his as he looked from her reddening lips to her half shocked and half angry eyes. Her face changed entirely, turning soft and un-frowning. She looked up at him in such a seductive manner he did not believe her capable off and ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders.

Edward leaned down thinking himself triumphant at having tamed this wild little beast. A moment before their lips touched he felt the collision of her knee with his groin and he dropped to the pavement. He could hear her mocking laughter.

"That was to prove that you really were a guy, you'll get there eventually sweetheart."

Edward grunted grabbing at his crotch and looked up to find her running out of sight with the other girl.

* * *

In the Cullen mansion Eleazar was about to open a bedroom door when Aro walked in.

"Let me do it Eleazar."

"But sir, he doesn't want anyone else-"

"I said let me do it." Aro's smile was hard, wide and threatening. Eleazar nodded and opened the door. Aro walked into his son's room, carrying the lunch tray with him. The room was dark and Eric sat on his wheelchair looking at his dad.

"You stay here all day doing nothing? You don't even paint anymore." Aro looked around the room and saw the faceless woman on the painting. "You haven't even finished that."

"I can't."

"Then throw it away." He said clearly unable to understand the value it held for his son.

"Stop it dad." Eric snapped. "If I'm tied to this chair it's because you wanted it that way."

"It was an accident." Aro defended.

"Because you were drunk! I told you to let me drive but no, Mr. Perfect says and does as he pleases. You killed my mom and my girlfriend YOU!"

Aro said nothing; he walked to the door and stopped before leaving. "It's useless, trying to get close to you, it's useless."

The door closed and Eric's glare did not leave his handsome features. He stood up from the chair with perfectly strong legs angrily muttering that it was his dad's fault.

* * *

Edward had picked up Jasper and had told him of what happened. Jasper tried to overcome a laughing fit at the story and Edwards glaring face. He could still feel the pain on his groin. He parked at the church where he knew Father Nicholas resided.

"I'm telling you dude, that monster is going to pay for that she did. She has no idea of the grave she's dug for herself."

He got out of the car when he saw the father walking into the church and ran to catch up to him.

"Father!" Father Nicholas turned to him. "I was looking for the girl from the soccer game. You know the soda incident." Father Nicholas nodded in acknowledgement. "Where can I find her?"

A slow smile took over the Fathers plump face before he exclaimed, "Mili? Oh dear please tell me you're looking to hire her!"

Edward frowned momentarily in confusion before deciding to play along, "Yes."

"Oh she'll be so happy!" he said to himself. Edward smiled knowing that he had her in his hands.

* * *

The next day Edward had installed himself in his new office and insisted that Jasper be there to prove to him that this Johnny kid was a girl.

Mili walked into the building looking around with a scowl on her face, the last thing she wanted was to work around rich snobby people and she had a feeling that this building was crawling with them. She went to the secretary whose name plate read Tanya Denali. She stood there while Tanya continued talking on the phone as if there was no one there.

"Are you gonna help me or what!" Mili finally said when she'd been waiting long enough. Tanya's manicured hands delicately removed the headset from her head and looked at her in distaste before speaking rudely.

"What do you want?" a perfectly arched eyebrow pointed up expectantly.

"I'm here to see this dude." She dropped the card with Edward Cullen's name and Tanya laughed at her when she saw the name.

"Of course you are." She tossed her strawberry colored hair back.

"Listen fish face, if you don't let me in to see him I'll hit you so hard even your hair dye will fall off."

Tanya looked at her angry and insulted then with an arched eyebrow and a challenging smile she called Edward. Moments later she let her in.

Someone was talking as she walked in and she immediately recognized the voice and groaned. Somebody must have something against her, she figured.

"As you can see Jasper our Johnny boy is not much of a boy as we thought. He's actually a girl!"

Mili scowled at both men.

"You have to be joking!" Jasper looked at her and began to see the truth.

"Of course she is can't you see she's got breasts? And a very nice set by the way."

Mili frowned and crossed her arms across her chest, she'd made it her goal to never feel humiliation and right now she began to feel more humiliated than she ever had before.

"Go on Johnny; show something to my friend to prove it." Edward sat on a big chair and leaned back looking at her cockily.

She was mad, it took very littler to raise her temper and she walked around the desk pushing Jasper out of the way, her hand ready to strike at Edward and he caught her. His grip on her wrist threatened to cut her circulation and he stood up and she finally seemed to notice just how tall and handsome he was.

"Now what huh? What are you going to do now?" he walked forward forcing her to walk backwards from him. Only when her back had hit the door did he stop.

"What happens if I call security and tell them you were stealing from here?"

"I'm not a thief!" she spat.

Jasper looked away feeling like this was getting out of hand.

"And you think they'll believe you?" he looked down at her clothes in clear disgust. "Please, have you looked at yourself in a mirror? I should call them to bring down that air of grandeur you have."

It was all she could do to keep herself from knocking him out into next year. And rather than being so humiliated that she wanted the earth to swallow her, she wanted the earth to swallow him.

"Unless you apologize to me." he said and waited but her eyes were hard and prideful much like him. When he saw in her expression that she wouldn't do it he took her by the shoulders and shook her roughly almost knocking her head into the door. "Say you're sorry you deranged beast! Go on! I can't hear you!" She looked at his angry green eyes and wondered if all the handsome ones were just as rotten as he was.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled quietly.

"I can't hear you!" he shouted again, hurting her ears and making her heart rate increase. He was so close she wondered if he could hear it

"I'm sorry" she said louder this time.

"LOUDER!" he shook her again.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" Her voice broke and she quickly caught herself. Edward released her and she made a go for the door. Before she left she turned to face him, her ocean blue eyes red and angry.

"I'M SORRY YOU'RE SUCH AN INSOLENT SHIT FACED BITCH!" before he could say anything she left and ran past the chuckling secretary.

Instead of feeling triumphant Edward really did feel like an insolent shit faced bitch. Boy attire or not she was still a woman and he had been brought up better than that. He'd been crude, violent, and disrespectful; all the things he disliked and that went against his nature.

"You went over the line dude." Jasper said, as if Edward didn't know it. "Happy now?"

"No, I messed up dude." Edward agreed. This didn't feel like he thought it would…

Outside the building Mili ran past Angela who had been waiting for her and straight to the street. There was a moment in which she heard the screech of tires and she saw the car coming at her through her blurry vision and then everything went black.

She opened them again minutes later feeling disoriented. Someone was holding her and shaking her and she feared it was Edward again. But when she looked at the person she saw an older blonde man with an overwhelmingly attractive face and striking blue eyes that she was sure she'd seen before.

"Are you okay?" he was scared and worried. Mili looked to the side and saw Angela crying.

"What happened?" she said slowly getting up. Carlisle Cullen stood but his hands hover about her fearful that she might faint again.

"You ran into the street and fainted when you saw the coming car!" Angela hugged Mili tightly and Mili tried to look at the man.

"Do you want me to call an ambulance?" in that moment Carlisle wished he'd pursued a career as a doctor as he had always wanted to.

"No…thank you." She mumbled not meeting his eyes she pulled her friend along and they both left quickly. Carlisle was left looking at them flabbergasted.

Mili and Angela didn't speak of the incident but Angela wanted to know what had gotten Mili so worked up. The last thing Mili wanted to do was think of that so she kept the information to herself much to Angela's regret.

* * *

Saturday morning the Cullen family made their way to the Saturday mass as it was the anniversary Elizabeth's father's death

"Eddie this is just too much." Rosalie complained, "don't you think? Wasting a perfectly beautiful Saturday morning."

Edward smiled at his only sister, "come on it's not like we do it all the time. Remember it's for grandpa, he always loved us so much."

Rosalie rolled her eyes but smiled at him and got off the car while smoothing down the expensive fabric of her dress and fixing her perfectly styled hair.

They went into the church and Edwards's eyes fell on the small body of Mili clad in her usual boy attire. She stood with the choir members and seemed utterly bored. The family sat down and the choir began to sing leaving the solo for her. It was going smoothly, everyone was listening attentively to her voice and Edward noted that her voice sounded very familiar to him.

The good conduct ended when she forgot the rest of the lyrics and she completely substituted the song by something that was most likely pop music and began to dance to it. Elizabeth stood up, her stern green eyes zeroing in on Mili and the father who had a panicked look and was trying to get Mili to shut up. Edward tried to contain his laughter at this girls antics, as rotten and ill mannered as she was it was easy to find her liveliness endearing.

"What is this Mili! For heaven's sake!"

Mili smiled apologetically and nervous. "It's cuz, uhm it's cuz. I'm sorry father it's just that-"

Edward stood up and walked towards her and the Father, knowing it was his turn to apologize.

"Please father forgive her," his was a kind smile; kind being a word she wouldn't have associated with him. It frustrated her to see that it fit him better and added to his unearthly good looks. "Please forgive her like I hope she forgives me.

"Don't you forgive me Mili?"

She looked at father Nicholas and spoke to him as if she hadn't heard Edward. "Father you can tell this dude that he can very well go to hell!"

Father Nicholas raised his hand in exasperation, "don't say that in here!" Edward smiled in amusement at her slip and tried to hold back his laughter.

"Well then please tell him to follow me outside?"

"For what?" the Father asked.

"Whadaya mean 'for what'? So I can go tell him to go to hell outside! To hell with the handsome father!" she turned on her heel and walked out.

Father Nicholas called to her and then apologized to Edward who assured him everything was fine and not to worry. He began to follow her out when his mom got up and went to Father Nicholas.

"Father when you finish, because I assume you will finish this right? I want to talk to you." She was clearly unhappy and she looked at the door where the dirty little girl had walked away and where her son had followed.

Edward found her in a small garden, her back to him and leaning against a tree. He looked around and saw a shrub of thorn-less roses. He cut one from the stem and walked up to the unsuspecting girl with the baseball cap. While standing behind her he drew his arm around her, presenting her with the rose.

"I know for these cases it's the olive branch but how about the rose of peace?"

Mili didn't turn to look at him but took the rose in her small hands feeling touched by this act of kindness. She turned to face him and he felt triumphant that he had brought about that small embarrassed smile to her face.

"I see you and I don't understand." he admitted with a dashing smile of his own that made her really look at him and the perfect imperfection that he was. "But I really like you."

He leaned in searching for a kiss and she pulled away. He smiled in understanding.

"I have a friend who can let me borrow her apartment. Want to come?"

"For what?"

And he could not believe that along with the list of things that infuriated him yet he found endearing, he had to add her naïveness

He smiled gently and it did a little to bring her guard down, "what do you mean for what? So we can be together."

"Sorry nope, sister Magdalene says when a guy tries to get you alone it's because he wants' to do the deed"

Edward nearly laughed at her choice of words but he knew that would earn him no marks towards getting her trust.

"And how does a Nun know that?" he asked finally letting out a small chuckle and there was no presumptuous air in his laughs. It made Mili smile and laugh a little.

"Edward?" Mili looked over his shoulder and saw a tall mouth dropping blonde walk over to them. She suddenly felt small. "You missed the whole ceremony!" She turned her blue eyes towards Mili and she made a face of distaste.

Edward looked between them and noted that Mili and his sister had the same unusual shade of blue in their eyes.

"Why are you talking to this…thing?" Edward almost groaned knowing what was coming.

"Thing? Thing?" a big word was about to make its way out of her mouth and Edward already knew it.

He raised his hands toward her and made a calming motion. "Hold on, it's all right." He said feeling as if he was talking to a little kid.

"Johnny is a,"

"Johnny your ass you dumbass!" Edward pursed his lips trying not to let things get out of hand. Rosalie looked like she wanted to laugh. Mili looked at Rosalie and her defensive manner surged. "What? Do I have tentacles on my face or what!?" Edward smiled somewhat resigned and entertained.

"Why do you dress like that?" Rosalie asked and Mili felt the anger licking at her at the prospect of being belittled by this snobbish and rotten brat.

"Like what?"

"Well you know you'd look better if you dressed like a girl." Edward wanted to stop her then but he was amused at the same time. "Oh! I understand you're a he-she" Rosalie taunted with a mocking smile.

Mili made a run at her and Rosalie shrieked and ran away, Edward followed after the two of them trying to catch Mili and calm her down. He caught her around the waist and pulled her while Rosalie screamed "get that thing. Edward, keep her away!"

He lost his hold on her and Mili caught Rosalie and began to shake her while Edward caught her around the waist again and tried to pull her away. For someone so small she was unbelievably strong. When he'd finally gotten a firm hold on her Rosalie took her chance to scamper away from the rabid mongrel, as she now depicted Mili.

Mili pushed away from Edward, muttering angrily to herself and wanting to tear apart the rose in her hand.

"Please excuse my sister" Edward apologized, being most sincere; "she was rude to you for no reason."

Mili turned to face him and the blue fire in her eyes seemed more subdued. "I suddenly feel bad for you." She admitted. "I would be insufferable too if I'd been forced to grow up with someone like that."

Edward took the insult lightly but could not help and respond in what he hoped came across in a joking manner. "You're insufferable enough as it is, and that's without someone like Rosalie by your side."

She scowled and he thought she would hit him with the flower in her hand but just then the voice of Father Nicholas came from within the church and called Mili over. She didn't turn to look at him as she left and failed to see his curious smile set upon her covered frame. He walked around the church to the entrance and rejoined his family; his mom was fussing over the ripped strap of Rosalie's dress.

"Sweetheart are you sure you didn't get it caught on something?"

"No mom, I told you some rabid dog tried to attack Me." she whined in exasperation.

"Well that's because you provoked it." Edward responded in his best teasing voice. He wasn't going to pretend he hadn't been amused by the way Mili had shaken Rosalie, he felt like sometimes Rosalie really needed it.

Rosalie looked at him with an incredulous look on her beautiful face, "don't defend that thing!" she smacked his chest with her purse and got into the car. Elizabeth made no more questions on the subject.

"Are you sure you won't come with us?"

"No mom, I agreed to meet Jasper here."

Elizabeth nodded and bade her son goodbye then they left, leaving Edward alone and waiting for Mili to come out of the church.

Inside, Father Nicholas explained to Mili that he'd found a job for Mili.

"Where?" She asked, her tone un-matching with the Father's joyous one.

"In a well respected family's home. You'll work as a maid there. You'll live there and eat there." Tears welled in her eyes, Father Nicholas's happiness felt like a betrayal to her. "They'll treat you well dear! The pay is good, you will have free days and you'll be able to go to mass! They'll treat you just like family!"

She smiled sadly; she knew they'd treat her as anything but family. She had her own prejudices against the wealthy that no matter how wrong she might be about them she didn't try and make herself think otherwise. She could see the arrogance in their eyes every time they looked at her, judging without knowing her and was therefore quick to attack anyone that looked at her in such a manner soon before they could say anything against her.

"So it's really happening?" She asked, unable to hide the tears and broken voice; they were hell bent on betraying her.

"Dear I thought you'd be happy about this"

"I'm leaving my home, and you expect me to be happy about this? I grew up here, this is all I've ever known and now I'm just being kicked out; just like that.

"I know dear but you knew this day would come sure."

"Well the knowledge sure didn't make it any easier." She wiped away her tears only to make more room for the oncoming ones. She walked away not bothering to listen to whatever else the father had to say. She promptly walked out the church doors trying to dry her tears.

"Mili?" She looked up in surprise and looked at Edward who walked towards her on impulse. Before she could process it she was wrapped in his arms and she had her own around his waist as she cried into his chest.

"Hey, what's wrong pretty girl?"

She didn't want to talk. She just wanted to be held by comforting arms and his, though strange to her, felt perfectly safe and familiar. She looked up wondering if his pretty green eyes would be just as warm as his arms. She flinched in surprise at seeing that his face was so close to her own.

Edward stared at her wide teary blue eyes and experienced that feeling of familiarity again. Her eyes shifted between his eyes and his lips, giving away a part of her thoughts. He leaned into her and felt like it had taken him a lifetime to reach the soft skin of her small lips. He felt it instantly. He felt the difference between this kiss and all the other ones he'd stolen from countless of dazzled women. This kiss hadn't even been like the first one he'd given her, that one had been too hurried for him to even begin to feel anything. There had only ever been lust in every kiss he'd ever given. He'd never kissed a woman he didn't intend to have sex with. While the thought had been on his mind when he invited Mili to be alone with him, sex was not the primal thing he associated her with.

He'd expected the lust, but lust was only a minor character in this gesture. It was completely overshadowed by tenderness that he'd always been a stranger to and had not realized, until now, that he'd always been craving this feeling.

As if she could sense the sudden greedy turn of his thoughts she pulled away and he was baffled by her angry expression.

"Do you make a habit of going around kissing random girls?" she willed her anger to cover the odd emotions that had spread like a virus from that kiss; pretending she felt nothing peculiar about the act.

"I'm sorry," he defended. "It's just that I saw you crying and then you were in my arms and…I couldn't contain myself."

"And what'd you think? ' I got this idiot around my finger' bullcrap! Listen pennyhead, if you wanna go 'round kissing girls then go look for frogs in another pond, don't even start to think that I'll turn into a princess."

Edward smiled softly looking at her blotchy face and wondered how someone with such a character could be alone in this world.

"You're so violent…and yet so delicate." He wanted to touch the softness of her round cheeks but knew it'd probably earn him a slap.

"Delicate your grandma! -and anyways I wasn't even crying."

Edward tilted his head back and laughed. "And I suppose you just had something in your eye."

"Actually no, that something was actually on my mouth and it left me with such a bad taste!"

He smiled at her theatrics, noting how exaggerated her movements seemed though he realized that she wasn't trying to be dramatic at all. Through his musing he saw her walking away and he knew he hadn't had enough of her yet.

"Wait." Her head snapped back when he caught her by the arm. He let go of her and she didn't move away. "I want to see you again."

"Not even in your dreams pretty boy."

He shrugged with indifference at her negative response. "Well I know your name and that you live in the convent. I also know you like to play soccer, finding you won't be very hard."

"Actually it will be. I'm moving out of here."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know." And by her expression it was clear that she was unhappy by this. "But at least one good thing will come out of this. I won't ever have to see you again!"

He didn't think about it, he simply saw her walking away-almost running- and shouted "Johnny, wait!"

It stopped her; she turned to him with a warning look and scoffed before walking away as if she'd heard nothing.

* * *

At the Cullen mansion an argument had ensued amongst the servants when Alice Brandon, another one of the maids, had caught Jessica in mid act with Aro Volturi and she'd informed Eleazar of it.

"You're a dirty rotten snitch!" Jessica bellowed, pushing past her and Eleazar and hurrying over to the room she shared with Alice. When she'd fixed her uniform she hurried down to the kitchen and was not surprised to see that Eleazar was there and had already begun to tell her mother of what happened.

"Don't listen to what Eleazar says. You know he dislikes me. He and Alice both want me out!"

"There's a reason for that, and I'm not going to go around and pretend that you're a saint Jessica." Rebecca had heard one too many complaints from Eleazar to know just what kind of a person her daughter was.

"I'm sorry Rebecca but I must ask your daughter to collect her belongings and leave this house."

"Only one person will be fired today," Aro intervened and Jessica smirked, knowing that he wouldn't let her be thrown out. "And that will be you Eleazar."

Eleazar was still, his face completely smooth and calm. "You can go get your belongings and leave now."

Eleazar nodded and walked out the kitchen.

"See mom, I told you I did nothing!"

"Don't think I'm buying that. I know you Jessica." Rebecca turned to Aro who watched the exchange with a disinterested smile. "And you sir, I don't care if you're the boss's brother in law; if you want something with my daughter you will marry her by the church and give her a decent home."

Aros smile turned cold and he quickly invented something, "I better go back to my room, I left the water running."

He left the room quickly, wanting to hear no more of such talks.

"Would you stop that mom?"

"What do you think you're doing, messing around with that man? He's old enough to be your father!"

Jessica rolled her eyes knowing what she was going to say.

"So what ma? I like him!"

"What kind of future will that man give you? He drinks he gambles; haven't you heard he killed his family in a drunk driving accident? He spends his time asking his sister and brother in law asking for money and losing it in gambling. He's using you the way he uses everyone else!"

"So? I'm using him too! Aro has money and that's what I want. Don't you dare think that I'm just going to work here the rest of my life and be a failure like you mom. I will be with all those important people and Aro is my one way ticket to that. So don't you get in the way of my plans or you'll regret it."

Rebecca was unable to respond in her state of shock. Jessica looked around the kitchen at Alice and Marcus who had seen the entire scene and both looked at her with a reproachful look.

"What are you looking at!" she snapped and walked away feeling satisfied with her mother's reaction.

Marcus was quick to hug this woman he'd loved for so long and wanted so desperately. She started to cry and he held her tighter.

"What have I done to make her feel so ashamed of me Marcus? Why is she like this?"

"Shh, Jessica just can't understand the great woman she has for a mother and how lucky she is."

"Yeah, it's okay Becky." Alice reached to rub her back in comfort. "She doesn't deserve a mom like you. Heck I wish you would be my mom; she doesn't understand how sad it is to grow up not knowing your mother."

* * *

Upon his exit from the kitchen, Eleazar passed by the luxurious sitting room and found the man he'd been looking for. Carlisle listened to his explanations of what had just occurred with disinterest.

"I just want you to know, sir that the moment I step out of this door I won't carry anymore of these family secrets. I will make sure to make them known everywhere and by everyone."

Carlisle picked up the warning and was suddenly very attentive to what Eleazar was saying.

"Don't worry Eleazar, you're not going anywhere." Eleazar's intentions had worked.

"Oh Carlisle, glad to see you, I wanted to inform you that I have just fired this man."

"Well I'd like to inform you that you are an idiot but I expect you already know that. Eleazar is not going anywhere except to go about his usual duties."

"Carlisle please, do not limit my authority before the servants."

"Yes Carlisle it surprises me of you. If my brother says-"

"Your brother only says idiocies. And if he wants to talk, then he can start by telling you why he's been having sex with the maid."

Elizabeth closed her eyes trying to contain her anger at her brother it wasn't right for the servants to see these things. "Carlisle please do not be crude."

"If you don't need anything else," Eleazar interjected, "I will be leaving now."

Nobody answered until he left.

"Well, you owe me one Carlisle. You're lucky I'm not a hateful person. By the way do you think you could lend me some money? I'm running low."

"You know I would prefer you be hateful Aro; seems like you lost everything in the game last night. Unfortunately you can't make any withdrawals from the company until the end of the month. I supposed you'll just have to make due with playing cards and betting beans."

* * *

Edward was out in the mansions basketball court playing with Jasper but his head was not in it. Only when he'd tried to catch the ball and it had hit him did Jasper finally stop the game.

"Sorry man, I'm just not in it."

"Well I can see that."

Edward placed his hands on his hips, regaining his breath. "Call me crazy but I can't stop thinking of that kiss with Johnny."

"I didn't know you were batting for that team now" Jasper joked and received a small shove from Edward.

"I told you that she's a girl."

"Yeah but you have to admit that those kicks she throws are not very feminine."

Edward smirked and mentally cringed at the memory. "Well it doesn't matter anymore, it's not like I'll ever see her again"

"That's the spirit. Let's see if you can play like a man now."

"Watch it!" He called.

But Jasper gave up soon when it was evident that Edward was clearly not in the best of spirits. Edward was left alone with his thoughts. They channeled between the family business and things he had to do and Mili and that kiss. It called for a cold shower that helped ease the frustration; but just as he was preparing for bed the thoughts came back. His mind replayed the same words she'd said about leaving and not having to see him again. He couldn't help but be bothered by this. Here he was, for the first time in his life, after a girl that expressed no interest in him. To say it bothered him was an understatement. If he was honest he'd admit his pride was being injured. But he had a hard time understanding why someone as ordinary and uncultured as Mili had caught his eye, why was he chasing after someone that in any other day he would have found beneath him?

The thoughts continued and followed him into his sleep.

* * *

The next morning after breakfast he Aro and Elizabeth were called over to Carlisle's study.

"Carlisle must we really talk of business today? It's Sunday." Elizabeth had no patience for business talks in the moment, especially not so early in the day.

"Elizabeth, everyday is a Sunday for you. I won't even mention holidays because you immediately associate them with alcohol."

She glowered at him, "Dad what did you want to talk about?" Edward interjected before an argument broke out.

"Aro has managed to find a way to secure our control over those lands for the mall; of course it will have to include bribery-"

"Come now Carlisle." Aro interrupted with his usual smile. "Let's not speak of bribery, we are business people. It's just a payment of a million dollars you know to secure our control on these lands."

"I thought it was already secured." Carlisle barked.

"Well so to say, you know it's just to split it amongst these delegates in the chamber." He purposefully left out the fact that five hundred thousand of that money was to be kept by himself.

Carlisle huffed and continued. "Well since we all agree on this-"

"Wait dad, we should put this to a vote."

"Edward, with your uncle and I it's more than enough he has twenty percent and I forty. We don't even need your mothers twenty."

"Let's vote." Edward repeated.

Carlisle huffed and looked at him coldly through icy blue eyes, "alright then, let's vote. Those that are in favor of this." Carlisle and Aro raised their hand but Edward was surprised when his mother did the same.

"Why are you agreeing with them, mom?"

"Because your father asked me to."

This fueled his anger; the fact that his mother wasn't even able to make a choice of her own.

"Fine, but be aware that grandma did not consent to this, and neither did I. I did not think you could sink so low. And then you go around speaking of corruption, bunch of hypocrites."

He left slamming the door while everyone was silent. Carlisle smiled loving any moment that he was able to shoot down his son.

Edward headed upstairs to his grandmothers room and crossed Eleazar who was just about take a breakfast tray with food to Eric.

Eleazar continued his path and opened Eric's door just as Eric had hurriedly taken a seat at his wheelchair.

"Good morning sir."

They both exchanged the regular greetings and Eleazar set the tray on the desk where Eric kept all his art things.

"I must say sir," he began as he took a look at the piece of the faceless woman. "When you finish this portrait of your girlfriend it will be most exquisite. If I may say so, sir, your girlfriend was very beautiful."

"That's falling short of words Eleazar. She was magnificent, she had light."

Eleazar smiled at the twenty year olds conviction, "you really loved her didn't you?"

"I love her." he corrected.

"Please allow me to say-"

"Say what?" Eric's voice already sharp as he knew what was coming.

"You're a young and handsome man-"

"Without legs."

"You have legs."

"Without heart."

"You _do_ have a heart. It's just wounded but-"

"Thank you Eleazar, you may take the tray. I'm not hungry." His voice was dismissive.

"But sir-"

"I said go Eleazar!"

"As you wish sir." He did as was told and left. Eric gazed at the faceless portrait with a melancholic expression.

"Don't worry my love. No one will ever separate us."

* * *

Rosalie laid on a reclined pool chair taking in the sun on this warm morning on Chicago. Nearby Emmett had rolled up the sleeves of his driver's uniform and was busy washing the car. He purposefully used more water than necessary so he'd have to walk past Rosalie's unnoticing form to get more water.

He passed by her but was unable to see, blocked by her sunglasses, if she was awake or asleep. He stared at her scantily dressed body, his mouth watering and becoming more convinced that he was in love with this goddess. Before he knew it he'd walked too close to the pool and had fallen in.

Rosalie shot forward from her seat and removed her sunglasses. She began laughing as she saw Emmett splashing about, trying to compose himself.

"Morgan!" she laughed. "What an idiot!"

Emmett didn't hear it with the splashing of water as he got out of the pool.

"Don't go in there miss, the water is cold!" he was now close to her and his movement sent water her way. She jumped and tried to ignore it.

"Morgan now I'll have to disinfect my pool!" But she could not stop laughing while Emmett shivered and spluttered.

* * *

Edward had been greeted warmly by his grandmother; she was the only one in this crazy family he ever felt true affection from. Even his mother had always been somewhat distant from her children, though this was mostly due to her alcoholic tendencies.

He talked to her for a while of other topics, not trying to ruin her good mood too soon. She was amused as he talked to her of his latest conquests.

"You're just as much of a womanizer as your father!" she chided. She'd hoped it would be taken lightly but it bothered Edward to be compared to his father. He liked to think he was nothing like him.

"I just hope that's the only defect I took after him." he said with a grimace.

"Look, what you need to do is look for a girl that will match all your expectations. But first and foremost you must define what your expectations are. Otherwise you'll spend all your time looking without knowing what you're even looking for."

"Well it's not that easy, grandma, sometimes we can be deceived."

"Hmm you sound disappointed." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "Would you like to tell me?"

Edward smiled, "who else better than you?" he gathered his thoughts and began to explain. "Something odd happened to me recently. I met this girl that…" he got this faraway look as he thought of her and tried to explain himself. "I don't know. Honestly she's not the kind of woman I normally associate myself with but…she's something special, different," he rolled his eyes and smiled, "sometimes insufferable."

Marie's eyes were wide in delight and wonder. If there was one thing Edward knew about his grandmother, it was that she was a hopeless romantic.

"But she's got something like a…a –I don't know. But anyways, don't listen to me; I don't think it's even worth talking about her."

Marie sighed recognizing his impulse to lock away his feelings in a drawer and forget about them. She'd seen it happen too much in her own son.

"And why's that?" she asked.

"Well because I don't think I'll ever see her again."

"Well," she said with a disappointed huff. "If you just met her then it won't be that hard to forget her. But when the love is great and intense, and it suddenly leaves like-" she stopped there, catching her slip.

Edward furrowed his eyebrows, "like whom?"

"Like your grandfather." She quickly covered up and Edward didn't seem to notice the lie, much to her relief. Her grandson was quite perceptive when he wished to be.

Edward smiled softly, understanding that she must feel lonely without him.

"Grandma I wanted to talk to you about the corporation." He quickly filled her in on what had just happened and what he'd done.

"You did well, I would have voted against it too."

"But they're still going to do it grandma."

"Oh yes. Carlisle is just like your grandfather, always buying their way, even going as far as buying a wife."

Edward was puzzled once more by his grandmother's words. "What do you mean he bought you grandma?"

"Oh he didn't buy me; I gave myself on my own. I'm talking of someone else's wife."

Before being able to elaborate there was a knock on the door and Marie granted them entrance.

Elizabeth walked in, an uneasy look on her face. "Marie, here's the girl that will tend to you." She looked at someone outside the door. "Come in."

Edward hadn't expected to see Mili come into the room. Her head held high and sure of herself, her usual clothes hanged loosely around her.

"This-this – what is this?" Marie asked, looking at Mili without understanding.

Mili raised a delicate and stern eyebrow at the way in which she was addressed.

"Johnny?" Edward blurted without realizing that Mili was on the defensive side as it was already.

Her hands fisted at her sides and she didn't even try to stop herself from retorting. "JOHNNY YOUR RETARTED ASS!" Elizabeth and Marie's mouths dropped in shock and joined in on Edwards shocked expression as Mili looked on with a defiant look.

And that ladies and gentlemen is where our story really begins.


	2. Animals

"W-wha-what kind of a response is that?!" Marie looked between the boy with the womans voice, her daughter in law and her grandson, looking for an explanation.

"Grandma I can explain-" Edward began to come into Mili's defense but his mother cut him off.

"No but there's nothing to explain! I'm sorry Marie this is my fault I should've-"

"Mom i'll take care of this."

Elizabeth was already arguing against him but he was gently pushing her out of the bedroom before closing the door on her face.

"Edward," Marie began, "if you think for one second that i'm going to stand for this- this-"

"Watch it lady, I ain't no dog you talking to."

"Mili please, my Grandma means no harm. Let me handle this."

Mili rolled her eyes but was mindful enough to stop talking.

"Grandma, if she's here it's because she really needs to work. Please..."

Marie looked at her grandson and pursed her mouth before speaking to him. "Okay Edward I'll deal with her, but just for you. Because let me tell you she's not on my good side."

"Ya know what lady I ain't all that thrilled with you either, got you on ma list I damn right do!"

Marie stared at the young girl completely at loss for words while Edward closed his eyes hoping that this hadn't been a mistake.

"Honey please go get eleazar."

Edward nodded and began to head out, suddenly worried about leaving his grandma alone with Mili. He cast Mili a silent warning which she returned by sliding her eyes from his and turning up her nose in a haughty manner.

Much to his relief Eleazar was nearby exiting his cousins bedroom. He called him and sent him to his grandmothers room where Eleazar was asked to show Mili to her new room. Mili followed behind Eleazar as he explained that all the staff members rooms were situated downstairs past the kitchen. She looked around half in wonder and half scowling.  
On the one hand she'd never seen so much grandeur yet at the same time she was ready to bet that these people were rotting in money and were incapable of donating for a good cause.

"You will be sharing this room with the other maids." Eleazar said as he opened the door. Mili walked inside and looked around the small room with the two bunk beds and dressers. She didn't mind the limited space, she hardly had any belongings and she doubted she'd be spending much time in the room.

"I'm sorry but I need you to take off your clothes."

Eleazar was opening the door of a dresser and pulling out some pink material.

"Excuse me?" Mili turned to him wide eyed and outraged. Her arms folded across her chest instinctively.

"I was ordered by Mrs. Cullen to burn your clothes."

"Well you can go tell Mrs. crazy that she's bonkers and if she's that much of a pyromaniac she can go burn her own clothes and leave mine alone."

Eleazar seemed insulted and as he walked out he wondered how a girl as ill mannered as her even knew what a pyromaniac was. As he walked out he almost bumped into Alice's tiny body. She looked at him with a humorous expression, having clearly heard what had just happened.

Once gone Alice closed the door of the room and grinned at the newcomer. Mili looked at her with caution ready to spit her fire if one unkind word escaped the little gremlin.

"I'm Alice, you must be the new maid."

"Mili the one and only." Mili mumbled as she shook Alice's outstretched hand. She glanced at the horrible pink and white trimmed uniform and guessed that she must be a maid.

"Well i'm glad you're here it gets pretty boring, having to deal with Jessica all by myself."

"Who's that?"

"The other maid, she's a real nightmare. Its just her and me, and now you of course! Beware, i'm determined to make you my new best friend." Her energy made it seem as if she were bouncing and Mili wondered who had tipped excess sugar into this girls coffee.

"Need help unpacking?"

"Nah, I don't got much. So which is my bed?"

"That one. No one sleeps on the other one but the farther you are from Jessica the better. I will not put my new best friend so close to that snake."

"She that bad?"

"Oh just wait and see."

"How long have you been working here anyways?"

"Not long. I don't plan on being a maid for too long though." she had this far off look and Mili wondered if Alice was still with her. "I want to be a fashion designer."

"Are you any good?"

That broke Alices dazed look and she threw her a glare that was sharpened by her elfin features. Mili gave an apologetic smile and figured that wasn't the best way to make friends. But alice's glare was short timed.

"Come on i'll introduce you to everyone." A pretty smile had already erased the glare.

Before Mili could refuse Alice took her by the arm with a surprisingly strong grip and pulled her out of the room and into the pristine kitchen of the mansion where all the staff seemed to be gathered.

"Hey guys, this is Mili the new maid. Mili this is Rebbeca, the cook, Jessica, the maid and rebecca's daughter, Marcus, the gardener, and Emmett, the chauffeur."

Everyone's smile was friendly and made Mili feel comfortable. Everyone's except Jessica's who seemed to have a permanent bitterness to her face.

Jessica took one look at Mili and the way in which she was dressed and decided to let the comment out of her mind.

"What dumpster did they get you out of?"

"From one by the corner where you work at."

"You little-"

"Don't mess with me or i'll get the pretty out of you with three kicks!"

"Okay, okay let's calm down." Rebecca interceded while Jessica and Mili stared each other down. "Mili I hope you feel well in this house, we are all thrilled to have you."

Mili who'd had a negative attitude since she entered the house gave her best smile to the kind woman, already taking a liking to her. As they all began to talk to her she began to feel better about working here and found she liked most of them.

"Sup pretty Mili," Emmett walked around and slung an arm over her shoulders. "You like going to the movies?" Mili smiled warmly and the burly guy with the mischievous eyes and cute dimples and recognized the humor in his face as mock flirting.

"I've never gone." She admitted sheepishly.

"Well when we have a free night we can go!" Alice beamed, her enthusiasm quite evident.

"Sweet! I got two pretty dates for the movies!" Emmett brought Alice into a hug, squeezing her with Mili as they laughed.

"Oh look the classical alley cats joining together."

"And what are you Jessica?" Emmett countered.

"She's an alley cat too, but she thinks she's siamese." Mili piped in and earned some chuckles even from Rebecca. Jessica glowered at the trio and turned to leave.

They continued talking, asking her about herself, If they'd taken a look out the window they might have seen a man with a long beard, dreads and sunglasses covered in a long overcoat as he sneakily made his way across the beautiful garden and out through the mansions gates.

"Hey i'll catch y'all later I needa finish unpacking." Mili turned to leave and no one saw her take a wrong turn towards the sitting room rather than the hall that led to the staff bedrooms.

Mili walked into the sitting room confused and stopped when she saw the same tall blond man that had nearly ran her over in his car. She couldn't believe how smaller the world kept getting. In his embrace stood Edwards sister, a smile as dazzling as her brothers graced her beautiful face as she looked adoringly at her father.

"I was thinking, since you decided to take a year off before going to college, that it would do you good to work with me at my office." Carlisle took a step back from his daughter and took her hands in his.

"Uh, hello? Me? locked up in your office? Obvi no!" She playfully smacked him on the chest. Carlisle smiled gently.

"I don't want to see you here around the house doing nothing."

"And don't you want to see me happy?"

"Of course I want to see you happy. You're my baby why would I not want to see you happy?" She wrapped her arms around his waist and he kissed the top of her golden head.

Mili looked at the scene with longing eyes. Wishing she'd had the blessing of having such a doting father. Wishing she'd had someone like that man instead of the poor excuse of a man that had left her and her mom without looking back.

"What are you doing in my house!" Mili was broken out of her bitter thoughts by Rosalie who'd already spotted her. Mili could think of nothing to say. "What are you looking at?" Rosalie spat and seemed bring some clarity to Milis mind.

"I-I was looking at how your dad coddled you."

Carlisle was frozen by the girls face. "You-who do you look like?" The girls wide eyed expression disturbed something in his mind, a deep sense of familiarity that he couldn't place.

"You're that kid from the church!" Rosalie recognized her as the one that had attacked her. "How dare you set a foot in my house!"

"Rosalie, honey calm down. I'll take care of it."

"But-"

"Go." He ordered and she left angrily up the staircase.

Carlisle turned to look at the girl, finally placing her face. "You're that girl I nearly ran over. What do you want? Are you here to get money out of me?"

Mili raised a reproachful eyebrow and wondered if money was all these people ever thought about.

" This is your mothers new maid, Carlisle." Elizabeth called as she descended the stairs. Carlisle looked from Elizabeth to Mili, who nodded in acknowledgement, and back to Elizabeth feeling utterly confused. "Why are you still dressed in those things? Eleazar!"

"Excuse me mam but why do you want to get rid of my clothes? They might be old but they sure are clean."

Elizabeth looked at her as if she were some grimy dog and was spared from talking to her by Eleazar who descended the stairs at a quick pace.

"You called mam?"

"Yes, why is this girl not wearing her uniform?"

"I tried to tell her but she refused to change."

"Well I want her out of those clothes and into that uniform even if you have to change her yourself."

Milis eyes nearly fell out of their sockets and she clung to her clothes. Eleazar turned to her ready to speak before she cut him off, "I get it, I get it!" and she followed after Eleazar trying her best to control her anger.

Eleazar waited outside the bedroom door as Mili changed. A few minutes later she stormed out of the room and ran out to the living room and up the staircase mumbling curses and with Eleazar hot on her heels.

"Listen lady," she yelled as she barged into Maries bedroom. Marie looked up from her book in surprise that soon turned to disbelief as Mili rambled. "I get that I'm working for you, but if y'all think for one heck of a moment that ima wear this-this-"

"Now wait just a second young lady!" this girl, Marie thought, was spreading her patience thin. "I do not tolerate anyone barging into my bedroom in such a manner and you are no exception!"

"But-"

"But nothing! Now you're going to walk out that door and close it. Then you're going to knock on the door and wait for me to allow you in like a civilized person."

Mili placed her hands on her hips and pursed mouth as she raised an eyebrow in defiance. "I'm already inside, i'll do it next time."

"You'll do it now!" Marie spoke with a tone of finality that Mili felt compelled to obey and she stomped out of the room and slammed it shut. Once closed, Maries stern expression broke into an entertained grin and she motioned to Eleazar to be quiet. Mili pounded on the door hard and caused Maries merry grin to grow. She waited until the pounding began again and she straightened her expression into a serious one.

"You may come in," she called.

Mili stomped in, "happy?"

Marie nodded in response and Mili took it as her cue to keep fuming.

"I was saying that if y'all think ima wear-"

"Stop right there! I will not let a disrespectful hooligan like you talk to me in such a manner."

"hooli- hooligan?!" and she was nearly hysterical.

"Yes hooligan! I have no reason to give a petulant hooligan like you any sort of explanation. Now I want you to turn and leave the room this moment."

"But-!"

"Now!"

She muffled a shriek of irritation and stomped out the room followed by Eleazar who had other business to tend to. Marie was left to giggle at the antics of Mili and preparing herself to make a lady of the little savage.

Mili leaned against the cream colored wall of the hallway, pulling at the pink material of the uniform while stomping.

"Who even says hooligan anymore?" She grumbled to herself, unaware of an approaching Edward as his quiet footsteps were muffled by the carpet. Edward saw her angry stomping and approached her.

"Crying again? What's the problem this time?"

"I don't cry!" She snapped.

"Of course you don't," he rolled his eyes in irritation. He chanced a look at her downturned face and saw that indeed she was not crying yet but her eyes were red and shining.

"So what if I am! It's just that..."

"What?" he demanded.

"What's everyone got against me! what'd I do to them!"

Edward chuckled and put on his best taunting voice. " No but you never do anything to anyone!" Mili glared at his sarcastic expression. "You're a perfect, innocent angel."

She turned her face up at him and he suddenly thought of how he'd felt when he last kissed her. His eyes moved of their own accord to her small pouting mouth and he wondered if he'd feel the same thing. Her tears fell and his hand moved to wipe them away. Mili sniffled but kept her eyes on his green ones as she admitted to herself that she enjoyed looking at them.

"A little angel." he said more to himself than her before he leaned in to test his theory. His surprise was just as if he'd kissed her for the first time. The softness of the feeling captivated him and her own lips moved slowly and clumsily over his own. He slowly pulled away and looked at her with a slight frown.

"What're you lookin at?" she demanded.

"No, i'm just...surprised." His frown turned to a small grin as he put together the puzzle and it was Mili's turn to frown.

"Why?"

Edward tried to muffle his small laugh but it escaped as he spoke. "Because you don't know how to kiss."

Mili's cheeks went from slight pink to red in a second and she angrily stuttered as she tried to formulate some insult.

"That must mean one thing," his cocky tone spoke easily over her sputtering. "I was your first."

"First what!? First dumbass that is!"

"I was the first one to kiss you, and now I want to be the one to teach you."

His change of tone and expression caught her off guard and chased away her anger leaving her only nervous.

"Huh?" She felt dumb the moment the stupefied sound left her lips but she couldn't tear her eyes from his as they looked hungrily from her eyes to her lips.

"I'll teach you." He whispered, he stood so close that the motion caused his lips to brush over hers. She jumped slightly as she felt his hand rest on her waist and the other touched her chin, just underneath her lips. "Come here, part your lips." She followed dumbly, allowing him to gently pull down her bottom lip and lean down to embrace her mouth once more.

Her heart went a mile a minute as he moved the soft flesh of his lips over hers and she slowly began to follow after him. His hand moved to cup her face and she leaned into it without tearing her lips from his. Too soon (it seemed to her) he pulled back with a small satisfied smile.

"So?"

"Hmm?" She kept her eyes down as she tried to clear her mind from the haziness.

"How good of a teacher am I?"

At that she remembered that she disliked this guy and she shrugged indifferently. "Pretty bad actually."

Edward smirked and stepped back to look at her better. She could act as indifferent as she wished but the red of her cheeks did not lie.

"Is that so?"

"Yep, I didn't enjoy that one bit."

"You're right," he played along. "Me neither, it felt like I was at the dentist."

She made a face at him before turning it away.

"The uniform fits you nice." He commented as he looked her over and was able to finally see more evidence of her femininity.

"As if. I hate this thing." She began to tug at the hem of the dress, trying to pull further down on her legs.

"You can take it off if you want." His innuendo was lost on her naive mind. She looked

up with a hopeful look.

"For reals?"

"Yeah," he took her hand to pull her into his arms. "Here, I'll help you take it off." His

arms wrapped around her narrow waist as she became befuddled by the sudden turn of events. "Come here, we can go to my room. It'll be fun, we can keep talking."

He began to walk backwards towards his room while keeping her in his hold. Mili was able to catch his drift and she angrily pushed him off. The action caught him off guard and he nearly fell on top of a plant situated there on the hall.

"Just whoda hell do you think I am!?"

Edward straightened himself and glowered. "You're a maid." he spat.

"Well maids don't kiss their bosses."

"Well maids don't talk to their bosses the way you're talking to me right now!"

Mili took a step back and spoke mockingly. "All right then _sir _, excuse me _sir, _if you _sir_ don't mind i'll be leaving now."

She began to walk away and Edward called after her. "Okay, go!Leave Johhny!"

She stopped as he expected and she deliberated on whether she ought to walk away or walk back up to him and smack him. Edward crept up behind her as she fumed and he hissed close to her ear. "Leave!"

She jumped in surprise before she angrily stomped away as Edward laughed after her. He watched her stomp away until she disappeared around the corner, as he watched he thought that living in that house might be more bearable with her around to annoy.

He made his way down the hall still thinking of that kiss as he knocked on the door of his cousin.

"What do you want Eleazar?" Eric's voice called.

"It's me Edward. Can I come in?" It'd been a long time since he'd last seen his cousin.

"Not today Edward, I'm tired."

Edward wondered how he could possibly be tired, he spent all his time in that room and was paralyzed so that he could not walk. "Come on Eric just for a bit."

"Fine." Eric huffed.

Edward walked into the dark room and saw Eric in his wheelchair in the middle of the room. A blanket covered his unmoving legs and Edward noticed that he looked slightly disheveled though he let the thought slide.

He and Eric had always been close, they'd grown up together and had never had any problems with talking to each other until the accident. After the car crash that killed Erics mom and his girlfriend Eric became bitter and full of hate towards his father. Since then he and Edward had drifted as he was so difficult to talk to. Edward tried his best but Eric was hell bent on shutting everyone out and shutting himself in his own hell.

Edward looked around the room for a topic of conversation and his eyes fell on the empty faced woman on the white canvas.

"Still haven't finished that?" he leaned against a table full of old art supplies and gazed at the canvas.

Eric said nothing, just followed his cousins line of sight.

"The other night I met this girl...I can't help but think that her face would fit perfectly."

"What are you talking about?"

"The other night I went to this club with Jasper, pretty low class but still pretty fun. I bumped into this girl, she was...divine. I look at that canvas and I just think she'd be perfect for it. She was beautiful."

"More than Evie?" Eric asked.

"By far more beautiful." Edward answered without thinking. Eric made a noise indicating that he didn't think so and Edward caught his slip.

"Well it's different, Evie was very pretty too." He quickly steered the conversation from Erics dead girlfriend. "Why don't you finish it?"

"Because I don't paint anymore."

"But why? You're really good, besides you've always wanted to be a painter."

"I already told you. Stop bothering me." He moved the electric wheelchair back towards the closed doors of his small balcony.

"Jasper and I are going back to that club tonight. You should come with us."

Eric laughed a little at that but it did nothing to change his hard expression. "Yeah, and be nothing but a paralyzed bother to you guys, sit and watch everyone dancing?"

"Eric I didn't mean-"

"I don't want to go anywhere."

"Are you su-"

"I said no! Now leave." Edward did as he was told, not willing to make him any angrier or argue with someone who didn't want to help himself. He walked back into his room to get ready.

After years of keeping himself in his room pretending to be paralyzed, merely to punish his father, Eric had finally grown tired of the confinement. He thought about his escapade early in the morning and decided to take Edwards word for it and go to that club. Getting up from his electric chair he rummaged through his closet and pulled out a bag. From it he withdrew a wig with dreads and began to put it on following it with a mustache and a beard. Once he'd transformed into the scruffy homeless man from earlier in the day he put his worn overcoat on and sunglasses and proceeded to climb out of the room through the balcony.

He'd made his way out of the mansion undetected and had hailed a cab. He waited inside the car until he saw Edwards sleek silver Volvo passing through the mansions gates.

"Follow that car." Eric commanded.

A good thirty minutes had passed by and Eric looked around and wondered what kind of fun could attract a person like his cousin into the slums of chicago. When the cab finally came to a stop he paid the driver and got off and followed Edward and Jasper into the building. He broke away from the pair once inside and looked around the place for himself, convinced that they would not be able to recognize him.

A little ways away from him Mili and Alice sat by a table, taking a break from dancing.

"It doesn't fit you too bad." Mili shouted over the music and gestured towards Alice's white dress. They'd snuck into Rosalies bedroom and taken the dress so that Alice would have something to wear for the occasion. Alice had made the necessary adjustments to make the dress fit as well as possible.

"It's all good as long as we put it back tomorrow." Alice smiled and Mili was glad that she wasn't as scared about this kind of thing as Angela tended to be.

"Ready?" Alice called and stood up. She looked away from Mili and quickly sat down again looking as if she'd seen a ghost.

"What is it?"

"Mili! Edward and his friend Jasper just walked in. What if they see us?"

"Hey we're not on duty and as far as I know we're not doing anything bad. So suck it up and lets go have fun!"

They both got up giggling and began to dance within the crowd. From a distance Jasper looked out at the crowd looking for a dance partner when a mane of black curly hair caught his attention.

"Ey man look, it's that girl you saw last time."

"Where?"

"Over there, the one dancing with the small short haired one! Hey the little one is not bad looking at all!"

Edward looked around eager to see his mystery girl again as he feared he would forget her face. Sure enough she was there in the crowd, a merry smile on her face as she danced with her friend whose back was turned to him.

"Hey Mili," Alice called. "Come with me to the bathroom!"

Mili nodded and let her lead the way. She walked behind her and they slowly tried to make their way across the dance floor towards the bathrooms.

Mili pushed through the crowd when she felt a hand pull her back and onto a strangers body. She looked up at the man whose face was completely obscured by a beard, mustache, and sunglasses. She'd never had an aversion to homeless people but she cringed away when this one got a hold of her and stared without saying anything.

"Let go of me!" She tried to pull away but he pulled her back with a strong hold. "Let go!"

The commotion was all caught by Edward who took angry strides in their direction and he forcefully pushed the dirty man away from Mili.

"She told you to let her go!" He shouted and turned around to make sure she was fine. Mili hid behind Edward and screamed when she saw the man throw a hard punch to the side of Edwards head. The unexpected force knocked him down and before Mili could help him up the man had caught her again.

"You're back." He called out to her and stroked her cheek as she tried to pull away.

"Get away from my friend you perv!" Alice's hand collided with his face and he stumbled back as Edward got up

"Shit!" Mili was quick to pull alice away. "Let's go before he regains his balance!"

They darted out of the building as if on fire and didn't stop until they were a good distance from the place.

"Shit Alice, I see you and I can't think of where the hell you got that strength." Mili breathed hard and tried to regain her breath. "What the hell was that about!"

"I don't know but did you see that punch he placed on Edward? Damn Mili he's gonna fire us for this."

"Negativity does not suit you my friend." They quickly went to find a cab to take them back to the mansion. All the way they talked of what had happened and they hoped they would get to the house before Edward.

"Hey you gotta hand it to him, the dude defended you Mili."

"So did you and you didn't get knocked down." Mili remembered and felt bad for not staying to make sure he was fine. "If you ask me,that man had way too much to drink. Hell knows what the hell he was babbling about."

"Do you think Edward will be angry?"

"At us? Why would he, _we_ didn't do nothing. Honestly cant they just let girls have some fun in peace?"

As they'd hoped they got to the house before Edward and they hurriedly made it to their room, neither one of them wanting to run into him.

"Now that I think of it, I have a slight feeling that that handsome dumbass didn't recognize me."

"Why do you say that?" Alice whispered. They changed in the dark as they didn't want to wake up Jessica.

"I first met him at that club and he tried to get at me. Then we ran into each other again at a soccer game where he thought I was a guy. Ever since that he's made no comment as to having seen me that day at the club. I wouldn't be surprised if he was stupid enough to not realize that Johnny and the girl from the club are the same person.

"Talk about multiple identities. How the hell do you get yourself into all these situations?"

"Hang out with me and you're sure to figure it out."

Mili was about to go to the bathroom to wash off her make up when there was a knock on the door.

"Damn, that's probably him!" She whispered to Alice. "You get into the bed, if he didn't recognize me over there then he'll want to talk to you."

The knocking resumed and Mili called forth her acting skills and put on her best groggy voice. "Coming." she grumbled.

"He can't see you with the make up!" Alice hissed and Mili felt something hit her face.

"What the-" she caught it in her hands.

"It's a sleep mask, put it on!"

She hastily slipped the mask over her eyes and felt something else slap her.

"Night cap, it'll cover your hair."

"Got it."

She walked forth as she put it on and stumbled over clothes. On the other side Edward heard a sharp thud as something hit the floor and there was angry mumbling. The door opened and he was momentarily startled by the eyes printed on the sleeping mask over Milis eyes. She poked her head out the door and pretended to cover a yawn.

"What?" she snapped. Edward straightened up and thought that in any other case the sight of her would have caused him to laugh.

"I want to talk to Alice." He kept his voice low, not wanting to be heard by anyone that might be awake.

"Sorry she says she's asleep." She internally kicked herself.

"What?"

"What?" she repeated.

"You said that Alice said she was asleep."

"That's crazy, she's asleep, she can't talk!" She didn't let him say anything else, she quickly slammed the door on his face and listened. Edward took a deep breath and kept himself from pounding at the door. Instead he decided to interrogate Alice tomorrow.

When she heard his footsteps fade away she took off the face mask and cap and threw them back at Alice who hissed like a cat.

"How the hell do you sleep with those things on?"

"What's going on?" Jessica mumbled half asleep.

"You tell us, you kept on saying that you washed a toilet with your tongue." Alice said.

"I mean I know you're dedicated to your job but I think you need to get some help girlie"

"Hmm okay..." Jessica moved around before falling asleep again, leaving Alice and Mili to giggle.

* * *

Mili hoped she'd be able to evade Edward at least for the morning but Alice had more luck being evasive than she. She was caught off guard as she walked towards Maries bedroom.

"Milagros, where's Alice?"

"I don't know, working."

She flipped her long black hair back and hit him with it in the glowered, sure that it'd been on purpose.

"Where was she last night?"

"Last time I checked I was working as a maid for your grandmother, not babysitting grown women."

He turned her around to face him and she shrugged his hands off her and leaned against the hallway wall. "Don't lie she was out dancing last night. You must have seen her arrive late at night."

"First of all I don't think I ever even responded to your first question, let alone lie to you. Second of all, if Alice went to go dance it is none of my business, and if she did so what? She was off duty she can do what she wants."

"That club is no place for a girl like her."

She laughed at that. "What and you don't go? Or are you going to tell me that place is only for degenerates?"

"You do know you have a big mouth right?"

"Aha" she taunted

"You're insufferable," he snapped, "really insufferable" he repeated, making sure to enunciate as if to get his message across better. Mili seemed unfazed by the insult. "And what i'm saying is so you'll talk to Alice. If I catch her in a place like that again i'll make sure she get's fired like that." he snapped his fingers at her and she responded with a yawn that threatened to swallow him. "and if I didn't do it sooner it's because I pity her, just like I pity you."

He turned and left her alone.

"So many good looks, who would guess he's rotting inside." she said to herself. She didn't kid herself into thinking the comment hadn't stung. She hated being an object of pity because despite her misfortunes she refused to be pitied, especially by pampered brats like him who'd never worked for anything in their life. It was them who she pitied, them because if they were to be stripped of all their money they'd be far more useless than she for she wouldn't be surprised if they were unable to wipe their own ass.

"Mili!" she turned and saw Alice's bouncing figure run towards her. "Look at this!"

She thrust the dress she wore the night before into Mili's face. "It's stained! What are we going to do? We'll be fired for sure!"

"I swear Alice, when i'm through with you I will have strengthened that backbone of yours."

"I have a strong backbone, i'm just not an idiot!"

"All right all right, i'll get the stain off."

She snatched the dress and walked away trying to keep unwanted thoughts from ruining her day.

She was just about to fix the dress when Eleazar called her saying that Marie was looking for her. She rolled her eyes and left the dress on her bed.

"Suddenly no one can get enough of me, one wants me to find Alice the other wants me to get a damn stain off and who know what the other wants!"

Eleazar watched as she walked away talking to herself and wondered if what she had was contagious.

"You called?" Mili asked after knocking on the door.

"Yes, come here." Mili glanced at the woman and her interest was piqued when she saw the book on her lap. "I would like you read this to me."

"Don't you know how to read?"

"Yes." she laughed and made Mili feel dumb, " but I enjoy having poems read to me."

Mili shrugged and took the book, "Shall I compare...the to-"

"No, no, that says thee" Marie corrected. Mili looked over the poem and shook her head.

"I don't know where you got this from but I would return it if I were you. It's full of typos. I don't even know what the hell they were tryna say here. T-h-o-u?" she looked at the book and shook her head.

"They're not typos, they're words."

"Well then i'm sorry but i'm not bilingual."

Marie stared open mouthed, "have you ever read shakespeare?

"What? Listen I don't have time for this."

"And I don't have time for a dummy like you." Marie snatched her book back.

Eleazar knocked on the door and walked in, "excuse me mam do you need anything?"

"Yes, I want you to get this little savage away from my sight." She said turning to him.

"Excuse me? What did you say?"

"She said savage," Eleazar cut in.

"You shut it fish eyes, no one was talking to you." Turning towards Marie she said, " go on why don't you say it to my face?"

"_Savage_" Marie pronounced the word clearly and slowly never looking away from the angry girl.

"Listen lady, no one offends me!"

"Uh miss-"

"And don't you dare lay a hand on me fish eyes or i'll bite you!" And she brought it all to an end with an imitation of a bark. Then she stormed out. Marie was unable to suppress her laughs no more.

"Dear lady are you sure that girl is adequate to care for you."

"Oh she's hot tempered and wild, but I'll make sure to mold her into a model citizen." After all she did enjoy a good challenge.

* * *

Mili tried to scrub away the stain on the dress but all that happened was that it spread more. She listened as Marcus threw showers of compliments at Becky until Becky herself put an end to it.

"Listen Marcus, I won't say you're not a romantic man because, well, you are. But I know the moment I say yes you'll go back on your word and leave me hanging. How do I know that? Well all men are the same, they all take advantage of one's innocence and then drop you when they get what they want. So just please, leave me now."

Having very little experience with men and having heard similar things from Sister Catherine, Mili decided to take Becky's word for it and she remembered her promise to herself that she would never fall in love. She'd yet to see a relationship that ended happily and wasn't staged.

"Hey Mili how's the stain going?"

"Well it's not going that's the damned problem ain't it? But-" she looked up at the clock on the stove. "it's our break and there's a lot we can do with two hours worth of break. Come on let's change out of these horrors."

Alice followed her to the room and they rummaged around for their clothes. "What are we going to do?"

"Work."

"What? no! We're on break!"

"Hey do you want to contribute to a good cause?"

"A nap is a good cause, it keeps me well rested and helps my body in wonderful ways."

"Come on! I need to raise some money for the kids at the convent, i'm saving up for their christmas presents."

"Honey, it's summer."

"Never too late to start saving up. Please I can't do this without you."

Alice sighed dramatically, "all right, all right. But you owe me one and I warn you. You don't want to owe me anything."

"Care to explain?"

"You'll figure it out sooner or later."

Mili dressed quickly in her boy attire and pulled up her hair and covered it with her tattered baseball cap. "I'll wait for you in the kitchen."

When Alice catched up to her she saw Mili with a carton of eggs in her hands.

"Are you that hungry?"

"Nah we'll just be borrowing these to work."

"Uhm Mili exactly what are we going to be doing?"

"Come with me and you'll see."

Alice worried about what her friend could be planning but was equally intrigued.

* * *

Eric had spent the entire morning speculating his unfinished painting with a smile he had not exposed in years. True that girl from the club looked nothing like his dear Evie. Not physically at least, but the moment his eyes had fallen on her face he'd felt a such a wave of emotion that he felt asthmatic. It had to be some sort of incarnation of Evelyn. It was the only logical explanation he could conjure for this feeling. This sudden adoration and love for this person he'd never seen before yet he felt he already knew. He'd never believed in reincarnation but he did not question it now.

"I have to see her again. I have to see you again." He lifted himself from his chair and reached to stroke the material of the canvas where the woman's face was marked. "You're back my dear girl and nothing's ever going to tear us apart again. My dear Evie."

Aro stood just outside the door of Eric's bedroom, contemplating whether he ought to try and make conversation with his son or not.

"Aro!" He gave a jump at the sound of his name and turned to see Carlisle, his face nearly red with rage. Carlisle motioned for him to follow and Aro followed, glad to have an excuse to keep from having to deal with his son but nervous about his brother in laws temper.

"What is it now Carlisle?" He closed the door Carlisle's Office behind him and turned to see Carlisle fuming, nearly ready to huff and puff.

"What is it? What is it? The chauffeur is not back you beast! Have you called him?"

"Uh, well...no." He felt himself start to sweat, the last thing they needed was for emmett to run off with a million dollars.

"Call the delegate right now!"

Aro pulled out his phone and as he called he hoped that there would be good news.

"Hello?"

"Jenks!"

"Oh Aro! How are you my friend!"

"Good, good" He spoke hurriedly, "listen did you receive the money?"

"Money? What money?"

"The million dollars we settled on paying for the land to make the mall. Remember we told you our chauffeur would take it to you."

"Aro I have not seen a single cent of that money. No one has given me any money."

Aro broke out in cold sweat and chanced a glance at Carlisle, whose complexion was starting to go from fair boiling red.

"A-all right jenks, thank you."

"Well?" Carlisle demanded.

"Emmett never made it to Jenks."

"If that low life ran away with that money, i'll kill you Aro. I'll kill you!"

"Uh excuse me but what's all this racket about!" Rosalie walked into the office. "Daddy when Morgan gets here I want to you to lecture him about doing his duties. He was supposed to pick me up from the spa and he never arrived!" at this Carlisle glowered at Aro who was busy dialing Emmetts phone.

"Yellow?" Emmett's cheery voice answered.

"Where have you been you buffoon! What did you do to the money?"

"Well what did you tell me to do?" They all turned around and saw Emmett leaning against the wall by the door, phone pressed to his ear. " You said go give it to the Jenks guy, so what did I do? Exactly as you told me boss."

Aro threw himself onto Emmett and gripped him by the collar despite being considerably shorter than bulky Emmett. "We just spoke to Jenks, he never received the money!"

"Hold up, what? I gave him the briefcase with the money. He even asked me if it was exactly a million!"

"Wait dad," Rosalie spoke up. " Do you really believe Morgan could have stolen that money and come back? I mean I understand he's an idiot and all but really?"

"Yeah, listen to blondie."

"Carlisle, call the cops." Aro had yet to release Emmetts collar but his hold was loosening.

"Wha-what nah come on why y'all gotta go on doing that?Can't we just settl-"

He stopped mid sentence and made a run for it. Aro turned to look at Carlisle.

"Well what are you waiting for go after him!"

Rosalie watched her dad fume but was unable to believe that Emmett could have taken the money. She could deduce that much from all the one sided conversations he had had with her.

* * *

"This is the drill Alice," Mili tucked the egg carton under her arm and secured her cap. "You stand on the other side of the street and wait for the stop light to turn red, when it does you run by throw an egg at the windshield of a car."

"And what do you do?"

Mili smirked and opened her bag to reveal a couple of water bottles and rags. "I offer my cleaning services."

"Mili are you serious? Honestly how much can you possibly make from this."

"Hey sister, every darned penny counts. Just you watch some day i'll make an industry." While the joke was obvious to herself Alice found that sometimes Mili spoke in such a way that she failed to catch her jokes. "Now hustle."

She shoved Alice towards the end of the sidewalk. Alice turned and flicked her ear then waited for the light to turn red before skipping across the street as if she were a flower girl and throwing an egg directly at a car's windshield.

Mili sprung up with a bottle and rag in hand and made her way to the car.

"Oh my god, the nerve! Don't worry sir i'll have this mess cleared in a jiffy!" She enjoyed as the man ranted in his car but accepted her help.

"Do you know who did that?" asked the raging man.

"Oh yeah. They call her the crazy chicken, cus stead of laying eggs she throws em! There ya go. That'll be four dollars."

The man mumbled angrily as he handed her the cash just in time before the Light turned green. Mili ran back to the street where she met up with alice who'd kept out of sight after throwing the egg.

"Good job partner! You're a natural." They high fived each other and waited for the light to go back to red again.

"Trust me, after a while of doing this you make pretty good cash."

"This is for the kids at the convent you say?"

They took a seat on the grass at the sidewalk and watched the passing cars.

"Yeah since there's hardly any money the kids don't usually get presents during christmas. The nuns will just make some small special dinner for them and that's about it. For the past couple of years a friend and I have been raising money from early in the year so that we can at least buy something small for each kid...it's never much but it's the thought that counts right?"

"Since when have you been raising money?"  
"I started a little over two months ago. It'll be harder to go out and do this sort of thing now since I have a job but at least it means i'll make more money with my paycheck."

"And don't you save any for yourself? I mean for your clothes."

"Now don't tell me you think my clothes are trash too!"

"Not that, it's just that...well, you do realize that you're a girl right?"

Mili scowled at her. "I can dress however the hell I want!"

"Well no friend of mine is going to go around dressed like that. Just you wait till I start designing I'm gonna get you out of those things."

"Is that a threat, gremlin?"

Alice shoved her and sprung lightly to her feet. "It's a promise. Now get to work, those presents aren't gonna buy'emselves"

She watched her skip across and throw an egg at a silver car before running away.

"I'll get that for you sir," she made her way over and began cleaning the car. The driver put down his window and looked at her expectantly, 'that'll be four dollars sir."

"And exactly why would I pay you?" she turned slowly and thought that her luck could not be any worse, Edward was scowling at her from behind the wheel.

"Never mind," she said with a small smile, "for you it's free."

"No, no, no, because now i'd be owing you and I don't want to owe you anything"

"You won't owe me anything."

"Yes I will."

"I said no!" and Edward's windshield was smashed with an egg she had in her pocket. "See, now we're even." She hurried away before the light turned green and Edward was forced to use his wipers to clear the windshield but ended up smearing the egg further.

"I swear I will turn into your biggest nightmare little beast." He muttered to himself, pressing on the pedal as the light turned green.

Alice and Mili stayed around for a few more cars before they decided to head home before their break was over. "I don't know how you get away with this sort of stuff, if it'd been Jessica or me we probably would've gotten fired on the spot."

"Finding a maid must be pretty hard, maybe that's why they haven't let me go. I wonder what Becky is making for dinner."

"You think too much of food."

"You kind of can't help it when you're an orphan." She joked. "What's the deal with you anyway? You don't live with your family or what?"

"I don't have much of a family. I never knew my dad and my mom left me in my aunts care when I was still a toddler. There's only my aunt but she was always kind of crazy, tried to lock me up in a mental ward and all."

" You mean the looney bin? Why's that?"

Alice looked ahead as they walked her short spiky hair bounced around her as she walked. She contemplated whether Mili would believe her or not before she decided to bite the bullet.

" Oh you know, I have this knack for always being right about things that haven't happened yet and she thought I had dealings with the dark side or something. Like I said, she was crazy. So when that happened i'd just turned eighteen so I made a run for it and ended up here in chicago in the Cullen mansion."

"You just got up and left? Why did you choose chicago?"

Alice shrugged but she had a small smile gracing her pixie features. "You can say i'm psychic. I was sure that I would find something good here. I was right." They'd reached the mansions great gates by now. " In just a few months i've had a better sense of a family with Becky, Marcus, and Emmett than I ever did with my aunt and her kid. They've all been kind and welcoming to me, I love them as my family...I'm sure you'll come to see them just as I do."

"I hope so." Milli agreed while thinking that if this was the only form of family she could have she would gladly embrace anyone who offered her the love she so desperately sought.

They made their way into the kitchen to find Marcus and Becky still in the kitchen.

"Hey peeps." She called coming to sit on a high stool.

"Hey girls, how was your little outing?"

"Well Becky, it was unlike anything i've ever done." Alice grinned and earned a suspicious glance from Becky.

"You'll never guess what Emmett did." Jessica pranced into the kitchen with a mirthful grin. "I knew he was a sneaky rat."

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?" Alice asked.

"Say what you want but you'll want to know that your adored big brother figure has just ran off with a million dollars."

Everyone dropped what they were doing and turned their heads to look at Jessica as if she'd lost her mind.

"Don't look at me like that, it's the truth!"

"Listen i'd believe that from you but not from someone like Emmett."

"You shut up you've only been here for a day, you don't even know him! But go and ask if you want. I just saw it all happen. When Mr. Cullen and Aro threatened to call the cops he ran out like a bullet."

"You know what Jessica, you're too poisonous for my taste. See y'all later and make sure she doesn't bite y'all."

"Well I know that whatever might have happened, Emmett did not take that money." Alice defended.

"And what makes you so sure of that?" Jessica spat.

"I just know it and like I was just telling Mili, I am hardly ever wrong."

Mili smiled and made an exit out of the kitchen and towards her room thinking of getting back to removing the stain from Rosalie's dress. She walked in and took the dress off of her bed.

"How the hell are you going to pull this off Mili?" She bit her lip and heard movement come from behind her. She nearly let out a scream but it was muffled by a hand coming over her mouth.

"Shh, don't scream kid, please."

Mili pushed away and turned to see a nervous looking emmett. "Oh my god Emmett I heard-"

"Yeah I know what you heard but I swear Mili I never took nothing! You think I would take that amount of money and return? C'mon dude how stupid do I look? I might be poor but it don't mean I go round taking shit that ain't mine."

"Why they sayin you did?" She moved over to lock the door so nobody would walk in.

"They gave me a briefcase with a million dollars, a million green ones! And they said I had to give em to some top of the line dude, that's exactly what I did. I swear it on all dear to me. But then he's saying that he never even saw me! They're threatening to send me to jail."

"But they can't put you in jail for something you didn't do!"

"Like hell they can't. I'm poor, they're rich that's all these people need to land me in jail for years. Just let me hide out here until the coast is clear and I can sneak out."

"Alr-" they jumped at the sound of someone knocking on the door before Mili brusquely shoved him to the floor and forced his huge frame under the bed. She warned him on being quiet though he hardly needed it and then hurried over to open the door.

"Why do you lock yourself, this room is not only yours you know?" Jessica pushed her way in as Mili mock-mimicked her. Jessica didn't stay for long, she was gone in a matter of minutes and Mili got an idea as soon as she was gone.

"Emmett I need to leave you for a moment. Stay there okay there's a little problem I just found a solution to."

She ran out of the room and headed to the laundry room, only coming across Rosalie who glared at her before resuming her walking towards the garden where she spotted Edward as he was hanging up on his phone.

"Hey ant." She called him by his old nickname she'd given him when they were children; a shortened version of anthony, his middle name. "You'll never guess what happened? Emmett ran off with a million dollars."

Edwards head snapped towards Rosalie. "What did you say?"

"Apparently he was supposed to hand the money to some man and he never did. Dad is ready to kill someone."

"I knew this was wrong." He said nothing more to her but instead hurried over to Carlisle's study where he was arguing with Aro.

"I told you this was wrong!" he shouted as he barged into the study. "I told you that Grandma and I did not agree with this dishonesty!"

" I will not let a snotty faced brat like you come talk to me about morality!" Carlisle barked back.

"Carlisle we need to alert the police of this."Aro attempted to bring some sort of calm over the situation.

"And tell them what you idiot? That we lost the million dollars we were going to use as bribery? You're not any more stupid because it's against animal nature!" He stormed out of the room without a second glance at either of them.

Aro turned to Edward, waiting for his nephew to say something when Edwards phone began to vibrate.

"Hello?" a frown began to take over his features before a cheeky grin overtook it. "Sick you say? Do you have a fever? Of course, i'll be there soon." he hung up and looked at his uncle but kept from mentioning anything about the current problem; instead he walked out of the house and towards his car deciding to leave this problem to them.

He needed to blow off some steam and Tanya was the most indicated woman for that. He wondered what had made her change her mind. After their first time together she'd refused his advances stating that she was considerably older than him. He admitted that ten years of a difference was big but when you were presented with a woman such as tanya, age hardly mattered. He wasn't about to think twice now that she'd so willingly offered herself to him. She was a perfect distraction from that girl from the club that continued to cloud his thoughts. He'd been hoping to make another go at her when he saw her, and now the thought of that homeless man that had impeded it angered him to no end. He decided that needed to question Alice about her.

Aro was not left alone for long, he paced around the library knowing that if this was not fixed he'd be the one to pay. His head snapped to the study door as it opened and he feared that Carlisle was back. To his relief and great advantage it was Elizabeth who walked in.

"Have you found out anything about the chauffeur?" She asked as she came to stand behind the great oak desk.

"We're still looking for him. Lizzie i'm worried, if that bastard takes that money Carlisle will make me pay him that money."

She had a calculating look and she turned to glance out the window. "Don't worry about that, i'll deal with Carlisle."

The mocking and cynical smile that had been absent from his face for a great part of the day was back now that his sister was there to wipe him clean of his problems as always.

"Something tells me you weren't here to ask me about that, little sister."

"If you want me to help you out you need to tell me the truth and the entire truth Aro, after all you are in close proximity of Carlisle you must know."

Aro didn't need her to say anymore, he already knew what she was talking about.

"Listen sister, I can't give you much information, obviously he tells me nothing of the sort and i've never caught him at it. But I have my suspicions about him and Tanya."

"Tanya? His secretary?"

"Yes, now i've never seen anything from her part but every time she's around he looks at her a bit more than he should."

"So my husband cheats on me with Tanya." She wasn't surprised at his infidelity, he'd more or less admitted to being unfaithful to her various times over the years. She tried to keep the memory the argument from last night, she wondered if anyone could smell on her last nights alcohol. What she was surprised was with who this was happening. Tanya was Maries god daughter and Elizabeth had always thought well of her, even going as far as to consider her a friend. She didn't know how but she would get evidence of this.

* * *

"Mili," Alice walked into the room and threw herself onto the bed where Mili was sprawled pretending to read though she'd actually been talking to Emmett. The mattress sank more under Alices weight and Emmett let out a small strangled breath that was unheard by either girl. "Were you able to fix the dress?"

"So to say."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

" I couldn't fix the dress, but I fixed the problem."

"What do you-"

The door slammed open and Emmett got an eyeful of Rosalies long, toned legs. Mili and Alice looked at a raging Rosalie who was wearing the damaged dress, the outline of a ironer clearly printed where the stain had once been.

"Who did this?" She hissed with a silent threat in every single word.

Alice looked at the dress in horror and could not believe that Mili would have dared to ruin beyond repair such a fine dress.

_This has to be a crime, _she thought to herself.

"Don't know mam, oh Jessica! Nice of you to come by." Jessica walked in confused at Milis kind tone. "Hey do you know who does the ironing around here?"

"Me."

Mili's smile was bigger and she took Alice by the hand, "there ya go miss, all yours." she pulled Alice out of the room quickly and left Jessica to receive Rosalies wrath.

"Look at what you did you useless idiot! I'll have this deducted from your paycheck, that way you'll start doing your work as you should!" She walked out angrily and Jessica stood still, trying to make sense of what had just happened while Emmett mentally laughed at her misfortune.

Alice and Mili walked to the kitchen, giggling at what had happened. They stopped when they heard Aro ordering the rest to search the house for Emmett. Alice turned to Mili looking worried.

"Mili what if they find him?"

"What do you mean?" she lied, "that dude's probably gone."

"No he's not, I know it. I can't say how but I do."

Mili began to freak out about this girls heightened instincts. Nothing escaped Alice, it seemed.

"You know where he is don't you?" Alice looked at her with narrowed and suspicious eyes.

"He made me promise not to tell anyone."

"Well i'm not just anyone."

"Ow!" she rubbed the part of her ear that Alice had flicked.

"Where is he?"

"I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet."

"The bedroom?"

"You're good and you're creeping me out."

* * *

"How's my hot patient?" Edward walked into Tanyas apartment and got an eyeful of her closely clothed body.

"Hmm better now that you're here." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

Edward had had a lot of women but he'd yet to meet one that left him more satisfied than tanya.

_Definitely a keeper,_ he thought as he kissed her.

The kiss was stopped from getting more heated by the sound of the doorbell. Edward waited patiently as Tanya went to open it. He glanced at a painting before feeling a cold dread going up his spine. His fathers deceivingly kind voice reached his ears and he turned to the door. Carlisle became quiet as his surprised eyes met Edwards. Edward looked from him to the bouquet of roses in his hand and then to a nervous and guilty looking Tanya.

"What are you doing here?" Carlisle's voice was low and menacing.

"Edward heard I was sick and he came to visit me." Tanya covered quickly.

Carlisle didn't buy it, he continued to look at Edward who was now glaring. "Is that so?"

"Yes," He answered in a brusque manner. "or what do I need your permission to visit a sick friend?"

"I was not aware you two were friends."

"Yes we're _friends_." Tanyas voice was suggestive and she took a hold of Edward hand for emphasis. Carlisle caught the motion and smiled before thrusting the roses into her arms.

"Don't forget to put them in water." He murmured and left, feeling Edwards glare on him all the while.

"I don't understand why he came." The mere sight of him had left him in a foul mood.

"He was just caring for a friend too." She turned to lead him to the sofa but was abruptly pulled back and turned around to face him, his look was calculating and threatening.

"You don't have anything to do with him do you?"

"Don't you trust me?" She batted her eyelashes as if to add charm to her question.

"No it's just that, he cares for no one; not even my mother."

"You really should frown less. You're too handsome to have frown lines. Here i'll put a smile on your face."

With their lips connected she pushed him to the sofa until she'd made him lie on it but he wasn't having that. He pulled her down and came over her as she attacked his neck with open mouthed kisses. What happened next he couldn't understand. He closed his eyes marveling at the warm touch of a woman when Mili's face bewildered face swam into his mind. The pink color that had intensified at her cheeks after her kissed her.

He never realized he'd spoken out loud.

"Kiss me Johnny." He whispered and felt a strong push at his chest as Tanya pushed him off.

"Johnny!" She exclaimed.

He looked at her flabbergasted and he felt the heat rise to his face as he realized what had happened.

"Tanya I'm-"

" No need to apologize Eddie, but you really should've told me you had other interests."

"Tanya don't be absurd." He got up feeling mortified and angry.

"Edward it's alright, I don't judge. Though I never took you to be one of those. I have a couple of friends like that, I should introduce you- oh but you've already got that Johnny guy right? Tell me, is he good looking?"

Milis face was still in his head and he had to admit he enjoyed the mental image, "well Johnny is-wait what am I saying. Listen Tanya I have my tastes well defined and am in no state of confusion."

"Well i'm sorry but you're kissing me and out of nowhere you mistake me with this Johnny and what what am I supposed to think?"

"That i'm and idiot or -" he closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Tanya, i'm straight. And I think i've proven that to you well enough in past occasions."

Tanya didn't doubt him at all. Like he said, he had proven himself to her very well and she was hungry for more. She understood why women could not have enough of this man.

"Care to remind me?" She whispered in his ear before biting his ear lobe. He groaned at the close contact of their lower bodies and happily resumed their previous activity though Mili's face refused to go for any length of time.

"Tanya?" he breathed against her neck.

"Yes?" she panted.

He took the moment to make her look at him directly in the eye, "Don't call me Eddie." he hissed managing to sound fierce and seductive all at the same time.

* * *

_What if they find him? It'll be the end of him._ Mili had stopped pretending to look for Emmett in the garden and had hidden behind a small clearing of grass big enough for two people, enclosed by bushes. In her nervous state she kept on ripping leafs off of the bushes and twisting them to shreds in her hands. She shuffled from side to side as if wanting to go to the bathroom and thought she almost peed herself when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw the same ragged man from the club looking at her. She started to scream and Eric scrambled around trying to shush her and get away without being noticed by anyone.

"Shh, shh!"

"HELP! HELP! SOMEONE COME QUICK!" she screeched as he tried to take a hold of her hands.

He made a run for it and disappeared through the bushes before climbing back up to his balcony unseen by her.

"What is it Mili? Did you find him?" Marcus and Eleazar arrived breathing heavily.

"No! but-but there's a man. Some vagabond in here! He tried to attack me!"

Eleazar listened with interest and looked up in the direction of Eric's room. He let Mili continue her ranting to Marcus and nearly ran back into the house and upstairs towards Eric's room.

He'd been growing suspicious for a while and he was sure that Eric could indeed walk. Ever since he'd walked into Eric's room and found it completely empty. It had been on one of Eric's trips to the graveyard to visit his mother and girlfriends graves.

He reached the door and didn't bother knocking, he opened the door and saw Eric sitting on his chair but looking shaken and slightly out of breath.

"What have I told you about knocking Eleazar!" He snapped.

"I'm sorry sir, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Alright from what?"

"There's some vagabond running around here." Eleazar gauged his reaction and his suspicions were proven right as he saw Eric clear his throat uncomfortably

"Well i'm fine."

"Evidently," Eleazar murmured and Eric began to wonder if perhaps the butler was suspicious of something.

* * *

Night fell over chicago and Edward had arrived back home in time for dinner.

'_Kiss me Johnny?' What the fuck is the matter with me. _He turned off the car and hoped that maybe just maybe, he'd have a peaceful night.

"Hey," he greeted Aro and Carlisle as he walked in to find them in the sitting area waiting for dinner to be ready. "Have you heard anything from Emmett?"

"We're doing what we can." Aro answered.

"Where were you?" Carlisle asked hoping that he'd been with Jasper.

"You know where I was." Edward rolled his eyes and wondered if his dad was or just pretended to be oblivious.

"You were there that long with her?"

"Yes but I don't see how that is any of your business."

"That's not a good woman for you."

"Dad I didn't realize you were such an attentive boss, I mean with you personally going to give your employees flowers so they'll get better. I didn't think you had it in you." He crossed his arms expectantly and watched as Carlisle went red.

"Listen to me you insufferable retard, I am tired of your airs of grandeur! You better learn to wipe your ass before you come here pretending to be a big man!"

"What are you arguing about now?" Elizabeth walked down the stairs all ready for dinner.

"It's him that's always fighting mom, can't make a comment in this damned house without being put at gunpoint."

He strode away to his room not feeling a least bit hungry.

"What did you?" Elizabeth demanded of Carlisle.

"Me? I'm just warning him about going out with people from work. It is unethical and if it continues I'll be forced to get him out of the company."

Elizabeth laughed once at that, "excuse me, but you forget that you can't throw him out, my son is representing your mother in the company. It ought to be the worker who should be dismissed. Who are we speaking of anyway?"

"That's unimportant."

"It's Tanya" The voice came from behind and Carlisle slowly turned to glare at Aro who grinned ear to ear.

"Tanya," Elizabeth seemed contemplative, "well would you look at that." Her expression made Carlisle wonder if Elizabeth suspected something but he was kept from asking as she was already making her way back upstairs to Edwards room.

She saw him leaning over his neat desk, both of his hands fisted in anger. "May I come in honey?"

"Of course mom." He gestured for her to walk in and moved over to sit on his bed.

"Honey, I want to ask you something...are you seeing Tanya?"

Edward was quiet for a moment as he got his thoughts straight, "so to say, it's a very loose relationship. You know I don't like compromises. Does that bother you?"

"No, no of course not." If anything she was glad since it meant that Tanya was not in fact seeing Carlisle. "It's just that Tanya is not like all your other little girlfriends. She's a serious woman, not to mention she's considerably older."

Edward looked at her before drawing all emotion from his face and saying in a monotone voice "I'm a serious guy too." He cocked an eyebrow at his mom and she smiled.

"You little devil, what am I going to do with you!" she laughed and took him into her arms and Edward cherished the feeling. It had never been easy growing up with his mother as an alcoholic and that fact had always left him aching for his mothers sober acts of love. "You know that above anything and anyone I'm always on your side honey, and I will always be there for you whatever happens my love."

Edward smiled at her though she was wrong, she wouldn't be there for him as long as there was a bottle on her hand but despite himself he said, " I know that mom, and I love you."

"I love you too, and I adore you. My sweet boy."

He accepted his mother's hugs and kisses but he wondered why he'd never received a single hug from his father.

"Mom? Why doesn't dad love me?" He felt like it was a kids question, but he knew no other way to say it. Elizabeth stilled and her heartbeat increased as the sentence left her son's mouth. She pulled back and stroked his face.

"Oh honey, he does love you. It's just that-"

"No Mom, Dad has never loved me. Not even as a child. He never did."

"Don't say that." she whispered and Edward knew she was uncomfortable. He dropped the subject finding that it was in no way beneficial to either of them and he let her go. She hurriedly left his bedroom, feeling panicked and needing a glass of wine.

Mili passed by Edwards room pushing a cart with Maries dinner. She met Elizabeths teary face as she passed and the latter instantly straightened up.

"What are you looking at!" She snapped, to which Mili merely shrugged and continued to push the cart.

"And they say i'm the bad mannered one," she muttered to herself as she entered the bedroom quietly, forgetting to knock, and found Marie talking to Eleazar as she cried.

"No Eleazar. I refuse to believe that my Grandson and Esme died. I can feel it, they're alive." Mili pushed in the cart quietly as their backs were turned from her and they'd yet to notice her.

"I feel it too, I dream about finding them so often."

"I will wait for them for as long as I live Eleazar."

Mili cleared her throat quietly. "Uhm I have your dinner ready Ms. Preston."

"Alright, but don't call me Ms. Preston." She'd lost count of how many times she'd told her the same thing and Mili still kept forgetting.

"Right."

Marie dismissed Eleazar and waited for Mili to set the trays on the coffee table.

"Ms. preston" Marie let out an exasperated breath. "Sorry, Marie, can I ask you a question?"

"As long as it's nothing silly, go ahead."

"Who is Esme?" Marie stared, she hadn't realized that Mili had been listening.

"She's someone special to me...She's the mother of my grandson."

"I didn't know you had a daughter."

"I don't" Marie wasn't sure why she was talking to Mili about this but she saw genuine interest in the young girls face and she felt that warm invitation in her ocean blue eyes to let out her feelings. "Carlisle is my only son."

"Oh so was she your son's first wife?"

"No, he never got around to marry her. He abandoned her before that happened, she..." she stopped as she felt a fresh set of tears coming. Mili quickly set down the tray and kneeled before the handsome old woman, trying her best to bring her comfort.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't've asked. You don't have ta tell me. Look, we can talk of anything else you want but please don't cry."

Marie looked through watery eyes at Milis worried expression and she smiled at the small girl with the big round eyes that seemed to have their own language. She ran her hand over Millis hair to fix a stray piece of hair.

"My grandson must be around your age. How old are you?"

"I'll be eighteen tomorrow."

"Really? My grandson was born two months after you. He's younger than you. Edward is older by three years."

"And your son never wanted to know nothing bout his kid?"

"No, my husband was a despot. He forced my son to marry so he could save the company. But Carlisle was in love with Esme... she was a maid like you." She pressed her hand to Milis pink cheek and on instinct Mili leaned into the touch. She'd never felt such a loving touch. "She was a piece of heaven...she must of had her son all alone, raised him in poverty...if only I could find them.

"Poor mister Carlisle." Mili spoke feeling pity for the bitter man she'd met. "That must be horrible." She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. "But enough moping around about sad things. Come on eat your dinner cus I don't wantcha all starving and weak. I need you to stay strong so you can keep looking for you grandson. Plus they pay me to look after you, not tryna get fired ya know?"

"Thank you Mili but I am not hungry."

"Yeah right, well I ain't leavin till you finish it all."

And true to her word Mili stood by Marie making sure she finished her dinner while Marie grumbled about how ridiculous this all seemed to her.

Meanwhile, Carlisle walked down the hall, heading to his bedroom when Edward opened the door from his own room. His hair was wet and a towel was tied around his waist but he hardly seemed bothered by the fact that he was practically naked in the hallway he had more pressing matters.

"Dad, they caught Jenks."

"What?"

"It's on the news, they caught him and in his car he was carrying the million dollars. He's in jail now and they're looking for those involved. Emmett is innocent."

Carlisle was quiet as he worked his mind around the information.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," he responded, "We'll lose the money and nothing happened here."

"Dad we have to find Emmett, You owe him an apology."

"Oh yeah, aha that too." He began to walk away and Edward looked around trying to see if Mili was close by before retreating into his room to change so he could go see if anyone had found Emmett.

* * *

"Just you wait till i'm through with you Becky, you'll look like a million bucks!" Alice ran a comb over Becky's straight brown hair. They sat in the the small dining room for the staff to eat in. All of Alice's Beauty supplies littered the dining table.

"I'm trusting you Alice,"

"Of course! I'm totally trustable."

Marcus walked into the room and did a double take,"Stop Alice, my heart will not stand it." Alice looked at Marcus confused and ready to tell him off for criticizing her work.

"Alice do I really look that bad?" Becky reached her arm for a mirror and Alice snatched it away from her range.

"No, it's not that Becky," ,Marcus explained. "it's just that you're beautiful as it is, My heart won't be able to stand so much beauty if Alice applies her touch on you."

Alice smiled smugly before returning to her work before jumping when she heard Eleazar's loud and strict voice hammer her about using the dining room as her beauty parlor.

"Eleazar," Edward walked in hurriedly and fully dressed though his hair was a wet shock of copper locks. "Has anyone heard anything about Emmett?"

"No sir, we've been looking for hours but no one found him. Is something the matter sir?"

"Yes, if any of you have any information or know where he's at, tell him to come back. They found the one that stole the money and we know he's innocent."

Alice straightened up and waited for Edward to leave before she excused herself and headed to their bedroom. "The coast is clear Emmett, get your big head out of that bed now!"

No movement came and she got down on her knees and looked under the bed. She came face to face with a wide eyed Emmett and before he could make a move out she was pulling him out by his curly brown hair.

"Hey, hey watch it! You know how long it takes to make these curls look good? How'd you even know I was here? Mili told you huh? I knew she seemed like a big mouth."

"No I guessed and got it right, but don't worry. I'm not here to turn you in. Edward just told us that they found the man that took the money, he's been put in jail. He said you could come back now, that they wanted to apologize.

"That's what i'm talkin bout! Some recognition for manhandling all this." He gestured towards his body causing Alice to roll her eyes and lean against the pole of the bunk bed.

"Well don't stand there! Go get your apology!" She hurried him out of the room and to the library where Carlisle and Aro were busy discussing the matter.

"There you are Emmett!" Aro walked over and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder as if he hadn't pulled him from the collar that same day. "We just wanted to apologize for the little mishap and tell you that you're free to continue working here."

It bothered Emmett that they were taking the matter so lightly when just a few hours ago they'd been threatening to take him to jail for something he had not done. But Emmett was not naturally a grudge holder. He only nodded and thanked them with a solemn look before walking away.

* * *

"See that wasn't so hard was it?" Mili picked up the dirty plate and set it back on the cart.

"I feel like a stuffed chicken. I ate more than what I actually wanted."

"That's not saying much, considering you didn't want any in the first place. Now don't get feisty."

"I will ask you- no demand, that you not address me in such an informal manner. You're very ill mannered but i'll straighten you out."

"And i'll ask you not to refer to me as if I were some dog that needed to be taught not to pee in the house. Besides I think some people round here might need'em more'n I."

"Is that so?"

"Uhu...will that be all?"

"Wait there's something I wanted to give you-" a coughing fit overtook the woman and it shook her entire frame. Mili thought it a simple coughing fit until she saw it would not stop.

"Misses marie? Misses Marie! HELP!" She threw open the door and screamed for help and yet the woman coughs did not stop but seemed to be increasing. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Edward rounded around the corner and burst into the room.

"Edward she's not breathing!" She cried and he hurried over to his grandma just as Eleazar hurried in. Mili watched in panic as they were both able to calm down Maries coughs and led her to her bed. The scene reminded Mili of her seizures and how she would wake up after passing out and see her friends crying around her because they thought she was dying. Now she understood how they must have felt. All the while Marie was coughing Mili feared she'd be dying.

"I'm fine, really." Marie tried calming them down.

"I'll call the doctor." Eleazar made to reach the phone.

"There's no need for that! I'm all better now. It was nothing."

"Nothing? You couldn't breathe misses. That ain't nothing!"

"Grandma, I think we'll all feel better if the doctor comes to see you."

"Mom?" Carlisle walked in through the open bedroom door. "I heard something happened. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, there's nothing to be alarmed about." Marie answered exasperated and decided to change the conversation to what she felt was a more important matter. "Edward told me about what happened today with the money. Eleazar, Mili could you please leave the room?"

Eleazar nodded and began to lead Mili out. Mili seemed unsure about leaving, afraid she might get any worse.

"Go on Mili," Marie encouraged.

"I'll never force you to eat ever again." She promised and felt slightly better at hearing Maries chuckle before she left.

"Edward can you leave your father and I alone?"

"You don't want me to stay here with you?"

"No, go with Mili. She's still very nervous, poor girl, try to calm her down."

Once he'd left the room Carlisle shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Mom everything is under control. There's no need to nag me."

"What do you mean everything is under control? Carlisle you lost a million dollars!"

He took a deep breath, the last thing he needed was for her to get worse because of an argument. "Mom...I'm so glad you're better."

"Carlisle!"

But he didn't stop, just closed the door behind him.

* * *

Edward found Mili sitting midway down the staircase. She huddled close to the rail gripping a post tightly. He smiled at her stance and walked down to put an arm around her shoulders and sat next to her. She didn't push him away as he thought she would. She just stood still.

"Hey, she's alright. It's okay."

"We were arguing about my manners and me overstuffing her and then she started to cough."

"Mili I hardly think you overstuffing her is the reason she was coughing. You've no need to go on blaming yourself. It's all fine now. Go get some rest."

She nodded in acceptance. "Yes sir, thank you." She promptly walked down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Edward chanced a glance at her retreating legs and was happy to see that they weren't like all those other girls that fawned over having a gap between their legs. Hers were rather toned, he thought.

"_Yes sir, thank you"_ His head turned to the side and he saw Jasper sitting on the sofa where he was busy mimicking Mili in a dreadful imitation. "That girl is simply not into you dude. Don't get your hopes up."

"You're wrong." Edward grinned and got up to join his best friend. "She's dying for me. I just prefer not to pay too much attention to her because you know how maids are. Get with them once and then you can't get them off your back."

"C'mon, you'll never be able to get into Johnny's pants."

"Dude, I can snap my fingers and she'll be in my bed tonight."

"Keep dreaming."

"You want to bet?"

"Okay"

"Okay, two hundred dollars. Are you in or are you afraid of losing?"

"Done, two hundred dollars if you get her into your bed tonight."

"Wait up that was just a manner of speaking, give me a few days to play it up."

"Okay how much time do you need?"

"Give me ten days, it'll probably be sooner than that but just in case."

"And how will I know you're not lying?"

"Because I'll record it all. Just wait and see I'm going to make Johnny mine; and as if it were not already good enough, I'm ninety nine point nine percent sure that she's a virgin." he smirked knowingly and watched the hall to the kitchen to make sure no one was hearing.

"How do you know that?"

"I was her first kiss."

Jasper grinned and held his hand up for a high five, "Jackpot brother! Poor girl, doesn't know what's in store for her...Hey by the way don't think I'm going to forget that you stood me up today."

"I know dude, but Tanya called and you know I could not pass up such a feast."

"I forgive you only because I got to spend time with your sister."

"Did she finally realize you exist?"

"So to say. She needed someone to drive her to the mall since you're driver ran away. I'm getting somewhere man!"

"Yeah now you've replaced her driver and you're doing it for free. It's like you're almost married!."

"Shut up. Mark my words, I _will_ become your brother in law."

Edward rolled his eyes but admired the perseverance of his best friend all the same. Jaspers love for Rosalie had come about when she developed breasts but much to his chagrin Rosalie Cullen had always found Edwards best friend nerdy and uninteresting.

"Let's leave that bet for another day shall we? Now go home because I'm going to sleep and I don't want you hanging around here creeping on my sister."

* * *

Mili woke up excited that day and prayed that Marie would be nice to her on this special day. With a spring in her step she walked into the room after knocking. The old woman sat on her chair reading from a book.

"Morning Mam." Mili's smile was bright but tentative and Marie couldn't keep her mock stern expression that she used when she was addressed as such.

"How are you Mili?"

"I'm great! how did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you."

"I wanted to ask you a favor-"

"That can wait, I have something for you?"

Mili repeated with a tone of confusion.

"Yes, I haven't forgotten that today is your birthday." Marie closed the cover of the book she held and stroked the cover, the action caught Milis attention and she took notice of the beautiful leather bound book with gold borders on it's pages.

She became confused when Marie held the heavy looking book towards her but took it in anyway.

"I thought you could become acquainted with my good friend Mr. Shakespeare." Realization dawned on Mili and she immediately began to refuse the gift.

"I can't take this Mam, it looks way expensive"

"It is old and very valuable, so I ask that you take very good care of it."

"But I don't even understand what it says." She felt ashamed of such a confession but was glad to see that Maries expression was not that of scorn or ridicule but rather patient and gentle.

"I will teach you to understand it." Marie promised. Mili smiled and knelt by the chair where the woman sat.

"Ya know, no one's ever given me anything like this before. This the first book I've ever owned."

"Well it's never too late to start building up your personal library. Now what's that favor you were talking about?"

Mili looked down at where the heavy book lay on her lap and traced the spine shyly. "Well after this it's kinda embarrassing to even ask after this." She motioned to the book.

"You? Embarrassed? I don't believe a word of it."

Mili grinned shyly, "it's cuz I kinda wanted to spend the day at the convent. What with the whole thing bout ma birthday nd all…"

Marie's heart went out to the young girl, of course on this special day she would want to spend it with those that loved her.

"Take the day." She acceded. Milis head snapped up and her eyes were wide and full of childish excitement.

"Fer real?"

"Yes, go have fun." She motioned for her to go and Mili stood up. She seemed to consider something for a fraction of a second before quickly bending and kissing the woman's cheek.

"Ya might not believe it Mam but I already feel like I love ya." She left the room before Marie could say more. Marie looked at the door with an odd sensation on her chest but she could wholly agree with Milis feelings and return them though it seemed inexplicable to her. She smiled and shook her head before going on to create a plan to educate her small savage maid.

Some time had passed when she was broken out of her thoughts by her grandson.

"Come in dear." She encouraged.

Edward's green eyes seemed more prominent with the dark green button up he wore and Marie beamed at her grandsons elegant taste in clothing.

"How did you pass the night Grandma?"

"Perfectly fine honey; see there was absolutely no need for you to make a fuss."

"You can't blame me for being concerned about your well being. I want kyou around for many years to come." He smiled crookedly and looked around the room, searching. "Where's Mili?"

" I gave her the day so she could celebrate her birthday at the convent."

It seemed to him like luck was on his side. Things seemed to be falling into place better than he'd ever expected. This bet, in his mind, would be a piece of cake.

"So it's her birthday...hmm, alright Grandma I just stopped by to make sure you were feeling well. I would stay but I have some things to-"

"Say no more, go be young and live life; but be very careful dear."

"I will," he promised, kissed her cheek and was off.

* * *

"What did you wish for Mili?" Mili looked at Angela unbelievingly,though she shouldn't have as it was a standard procedure that Angela ask Mili such a question.

"Curiosity killed the cat Angie."

"You're the one to talk." Angela muttered. Mili was about to retort but looked around as everyone seemed to get hyped up. The sound of a guitar made her turn around and her mouth nearly dropped as she took in the sight.

Edward Cullen walked towards the crowd of nuns and orphans with a guitar as he sang, with the softest of voices, the birthday tune. Mili watched perplexed as this guy she hated looked at her and sung only for her. She hated herself for the small embarrassed smile she wore on her face when she felt like she should have been glaring.

As the song closed they all clapped and Edward stood, a smug grin in place, and felt satisfied at seeing this girls blushing face. Once again he was reassured that he'd be winning that bet.


End file.
